


Ladynoir July 2020

by Lady3ellewrites



Series: Month challenges [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (just a little), Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Fanart, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Ladynoir July, Ladynoir July 2020, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, One Shot Collection, until it's not anymore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 23,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady3ellewrites/pseuds/Lady3ellewrites
Summary: A collection of stand-alone and connected one shots based on theLadynoir July prompt list!Short summaries are included at the beginning of each chapter
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Month challenges [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889104
Comments: 26
Kudos: 90





	1. Day 1 - The wall between us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir come up with a way to talk about their lives without revealing their identities.

“Ladybug, wait!” Chat Noir jogged up to his partner, who’d been about to yoyo away. 

“Yes, Chat Noir?” She interrupted her movement and waited expectantly. The patrol had been very quiet, for once, so it wasn’t as if she had to be somewhere. 

The pair had long abandoned their nicknames for each other, some time between their battle against Miracle Queen and their first relationships. It hurt somewhat, at first, but they’d quickly learned how to interact without them. There was something slightly uncomfortable about lying to Luka and Kagami about their comings and goings, which wasn’t helped by the fact Ladybug felt like she was cheating anytime she’d call Chat by his pet name. Chat Noir refrained from calling her ‘my lady’ or ‘Bugaboo’, afraid he’d slip up someday with Kagami.

Unfortunately for Marinette, the secrecy and sneaking around had done little to help her develop a lasting relationship with Luka. Add to that the fact that her boyfriend had been singled out by Jagged Stone as a back up guitarist after a competition and was now touring Europe, one could say that long distance, both emotional and physical, had signed the death of romantic Lukanette. They did remain friends, Luka sending her postcards of every city he stayed in. They were gradually replacing Adrien on Marinette’s board. 

“Did you think about it?” Chat asked.

Ladybug sighed as she finally let her hand fall to her side. She should’ve known Chat wouldn’t drop the topic. The previous month, drunk on lack of sleep from repeated Akuma attacks and anxiety at the idea that her relationship was slowly, but surely unravelling, Ladybug had carelessly told her partner that she was getting tired of secrets and that they deserved to know more about each other, if only just to facilitate out-of-costume communication. She tried not to rely on Chat too much with the Guardian job, but she was determined to make him realise how important he was to her (and, incidentally, to Paris) by delegating more tasks to him. She was tired of the mystery that surrounded their identities, which prevented them from communicating as freely as they should’ve been able to. With all due respect to Alya, Chat Noir was her best friend, and something told her that she officially held the same place in his life now that he had a girlfriend. 

They were the only ones who shared the burden of saving Paris every day, while still having to juggle friends, family, school, and extracurriculars. All of their conversations, however, were censored by the looming wall between them, a filter which she thought it was high time to tear down. She couldn’t take the duality of their conversations anymore, either far too mundane or way too deep, the constant being the vagueness that surrounded their anecdotes. She just wanted something in between. Chances were they didn’t know each other anyway, so what difference would it make to be able to talk about the Françoise Dupont shenanigans without making the story convoluted enough that it couldn’t be traced back to the Collège?

At first, Chat had been ecstatic at the idea. He’d dreamed about this moment since the first time they’d gone home from fighting an Akuma. He’d daydreamed about a proper way to reveal his identity at least a thousand times, but scrapping all his ideas as either too sappy, stupid, obvious, in short not right. It had actually made him rethink wanting to tell her who he was. 

There was no way the person behind the mask hadn’t heard about him. His father had made sure of that by apparently buying the ad spaces on all the Paris billboards, buses and whatever else could hold a perfume poster (not to mention the fact Ladybug had saved him a good dozen times), and that was the problem. What if her opinion of him was tarnished by his celebrity? Worse, what if she started treating him differently because of it? He desperately wanted to get to know her, to share his whole life with her, but the wall between them did provide a shelter he was reluctant to give up. As much as he tried to be himself in his day-to-day life, he could tell he got special treatment from a lot of people, and many of the remaining crowd was intently studying his every move, waiting for him to slip up. With Ladybug, as Chat Noir, he got to be… well, not completely ordinary, but they did share a status. He could slip without worrying about what his father or the press would say, and he knew that the fall wouldn’t be long anyway with his partner around. He was terrified about losing what they had.

Ladybug shook her head lightly, looking at her feet. Chat Noir took her hand in a reassuring gesture, and helped her sit down facing him.

“I’m sorry.” She said, hiding her face in her hands. “There are a million reasons why we should do this, but I always feel like why we shouldn’t outweighs them all.” 

Chat placed his hand on her knee tentatively. “It’s alright, LB. I actually wanted to tell you… I don’t think this is the right time.”

Ladybug’s head snapped up. Of everything he could have said, this was probably the last thing she would have expected. She looked attentively at her partner, who looked more serious than she’d ever seen him before. 

“Really?” She breathed, squeezing his hand in hers. She didn’t quite know how to feel, frustrated that they were putting off something inevitable again, offended that he didn’t want to know anymore, or relieved by it.

He gave her a sad smile in response, his eyes filled with fondness and something else she couldn’t quite make out. “M’lady,” her old nickname rolled off his tongue before he could register what he was saying, his thoughts directed solely towards his very best friend. “If this was it, we’d know. And maybe it won’t even happen then, purr-haps we’ll be caught off guard when the time comes, but it should be something we don’t lose sleep about.” 

“I guess you’re right, Chaton.” She smiled softly, absentmindedly stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. “What made you change your mind?” She asked curiously.

“The reasons why we shouldn’t started being louder than the others.” He shrugged, his gaze losing focus as he looked into the distance.

“You know you can talk to me if you need to, right?” Ladybug said tentatively after a short pause. “Maybe we’re not ready to know who we are, but I still think we should loosen the rules a little.”

“That could work.” Chat nodded. “How do we do that?”

“We could change the names of the people we talk about. And the exact story.”

“Okay, so for example… My girlfriend’s name is... Kelly?” He tried. She nodded encouragingly. “I met her because we both… play tennis in the same place. I like her very much, but I’m afraid she’ll get tired of me finding flaky excuses when the city’s attacked by Akumas. It’s not very honourable.”

Ladybug patted his knee with her free hand. “As long as you know you’re doing the honourable thing by protecting her and this city, I’m sure you can find a way to compensate. I promise that someday, she’ll know why you couldn’t stay by her side. And if you need me to talk to her, I’ll gladly do it! She should know how amazing her boyfriend is.”

Chat was thankful for the darkness around them, which concealed his blush. Ladybug’s compliments were becoming less rare, but they generally concerned his skills or actions, not himself directly. He cleared his throat. “What about you? Didn’t you say you have a boyfriend?” 

“Had.” She corrected. “Louis and I are still friends, but he left town to… study.” It wasn’t that far from the truth. “He’s a little older, so we didn’t get to see much of each other, anyway. Especially with the whole Guardian business and everything.” She gestured vaguely at the city at their feet.

“Was he the boy you talked about before?” Chat pried. 

Ladybug thought about Adrien. Seeing him so happy with Kagami, she had abandoned her pursuit, which had led her to Luka. In both cases, she thought, the outcome would have been the same anyway, especially since Adrien had an even busier schedule than the blue-haired boy. They would have barely seen each other if they’d dated. “No. That was… Arthur. He was a very accomplished musician. He wouldn’t have been happy with me; like you said, I would’ve been very absent for a supposedly caring girlfriend. We’re good friends, though, and I’m satisfied with that.”

“His loss, I guess. And who meows, maybe it’ll work out someday.” He winked at her.

They continued chatting for a while, moving to the edge of the roof to get a better look at the illuminated streets. Soon, they had more or less rebuilt their lives and were talking freely, Alya becoming Alice or Audrey, Nino, Nathan or Nicolas, Marinette, Madeleine… The way they distorted things, or pulled up older events they’d meant to talk about earlier made them unrecognisable, although there were times where the stories felt familiar, without them being able to put their finger on it. They laughed, more than they’d had in months, talking about their excuses to justify their absence during a fight. It felt good to finally talk about something else than strategies, Akumas or Sentimonsters. 

When the Eiffel Tower flickered for the third time since the beginning of their conversation, Ladybug and Chat Noir agreed it was probably time to go home. As they walked away, both turned around before leaping off the roof, giving each other a small wave and a wide smile before leaving, already looking forward to the next patrol. Ladybug realised they hadn’t shared a moment like this in a while, if ever. 

Maybe they’d be okay sitting on their own side of the wall, after all.


	2. Day 2 - Stargazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tried my hand at fanart for this prompt, along with a little headcanon

I have this headcanon that Ladybug knows a lot about constellations because she actually has a balcony from which to stargaze, unlike our favourite blond cat, and that she sometimes spends time teaching Chat Noir about the stars (it’s one of the few things she’s more knowledgeable about than he is). She might or might not think it’s cute when he gets excited about the Dippers or seeing shooting stars, and she might or might not look at him like he’s the star of her life 😉

*Image description: It’s night time, Ladybug and Chat Noir are on a roof with the Eiffel Tower is visible in the background. Chat Noir is standing up, looking at the sky through a Lucky Charm Telescope and pointing at a star. Ladybug smiles widely as she sits at his feet, looking up at him.*


	3. Day 3 - In denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Classic Lady "I swear I'm not in love with my partner" Bug overthinking (sort of connected with the two first prompts, but can be read as a standalone)

Ladybug paced around on a rooftop, seemingly ignoring the glorious view of the Champ de Mars at her feet. Ryuko didn't know what she was talking about. She trusted Kagami on a lot of topics, and the girl did prove to be very wise (which was why she’d chosen her to fight an akuma despite her identity slip up), but she hadn’t spent enough time with her and Chat Noir lately to judge what she said. Ladybug had just pointed out that Chat might be getting a little too friendly with the Dragon Lady, was all. She was just helping out a friend -a flirty friend- make sure his relationship wasn’t going to go down the drain. It had nothing to do with jealousy. Definitely not.

What a ludicrous idea, that she’d caught feelings for her partner ever since they’d started sharing their alternative lives. They’d started seeing a lot more of each other, sometimes for no other reason than to hang out, and most times she’d been the instigator, but that meant nothing. Sure, the stargazing had been fun, and it was definitely cute that Chat got excited about the Paris night sky, when about ninety five percent of the stars were obscured by pollution and the closest thing to a shooting star was a plane, but he was just a friend. A very good friend. 

“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.” She scoffed at the idea that he could be something more.

“Speaking to yourself now, m’lady?” A voice sounded behind her, making her jump around. “And quoting Chloé Bourgeois, are you sure you’re alright?” Chat was standing behind her, his head tilted to the side as he leaned on his baton, an amused smile playing on his lips. Lips she definitely didn’t want to kiss.

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you very much.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “Never been better, in fact.” 

“Are you sure about that?” He squinted suspiciously and swiftly picked up his baton. He walked towards her casually, spinning it behind his back.

“Paw-sitive.” She tried to remain calm as he approached, but her heart seemed to have its own agenda. Why did it have to beat so fast, all of a sudden? He was two steps away. They’d been closer than that a million times, and their proximity had never had that effect on her before. Would her heart consider being less loud as well? She didn’t need him hearing it. She’d never hear the end of it.

“I would believe you, but I’m afraid I know you only pun when you’re uncomfortable.” He smirked, taking a step forward.

She breathed in deeply, trying to control the urge to get closer. She tried taking a step back instead to buy herself some time to come up with a smart reply, but her foot didn’t find any ground to stand on. She gave a little yelp as she lost her balance, but strong arms instantly yanked her back to stability. 

“Careful there, Bugaboo.” Chat’s voice came out as a hoarse whisper as he held her. She reveled in the warmth of his embrace, knowing she’d have to leave it soon. “Ladybugs don’t always land on their feet.” He stepped back, keeping his gaze on her. “Are you sure you’re not running a fever though? You’re so red I can’t really tell where your mask ends and your cheeks begin.” He reached forward towards her face, which she now realised felt like she’d spent far too much time in the Sun, but she swatted his hand away. 

“I tell you, I’m all good. Just a bit tired, I might get back home now.” She turned away, hoping she’d been convincing enough.

“Already? Wait, LB, was it something I said?” He asked, his face slightly crumpled at the thought.

She stopped in her tracks and strode back to him, her hand automatically cupping his cheek. As friends do. “Of course not, Chaton. You know I’d tell you.” She smiled fondly, internally appreciating how soft his skin was. Her friend had a good skincare routine, nothing wrong with thinking that, right?

He looked relieved for a second, but soon a devilish grin spread on his face. “So… did I make you blush?” 

“Pfft, don’t flatter yourself.” She dismissed his question with a wave. 

“Ladybug, do you have a crush on me?” He asked giddily, almost bouncing.

“Of course not!” She scoffed. “You have a girlfriend.” 

“That’s got nothing to do with it.” His eyes glinted. 

His deep, beautiful, green- snap out of it, Marinette, she scolded herself.

“It’s got everything to do with it. Good night, Chaton.” She yoyoed off in the distance, effectively ending the conversation. A crush. On him. Her smart, no, brilliant, funny, resourceful partner. Everybody was out of their minds today. 

Chat watched her leave, all alone on the roof. He chuckled silently. He wouldn’t have called her out about how in denial of her feelings she was, although all of the signs of a crush were there (he would know). It would have made him a hypocrite - he knew the way his heart beat faster when he’d held her definitely couldn’t be entirely credited to the adrenaline. Purr-haps he wasn’t over his Lady, after all.


	4. Days 4 & 5 - Disguises & Banter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir are the special guests of a Halloween party (references to the Days 1 and 3 fics)

Ladybug waited outside the hospital, comfortably swaying in her long red and black dress. She was pretty satisfied with the design; she thought she’d nailed the elaborate XVIIIth century style, complete with small train, frills, ribbons and slightly puffy sleeves. The rich damask cloth, combined with the petticoat, kept her warm in the crisp October night air. It was going to be a cold winter.

Shrill sirens echoed from nearby streets, bringing her back to the matter at hand. She tried to ignore their meaning as she checked her Miracuphone for a sign of her partner. Out of all the days he could've chosen to be late, this one was possibly the worst. The children in the hospital weren't expecting the two Paris Heroes (they'd made sure to keep their visit under wraps to surprise them), but they were definitely waiting for their Halloween treats. And she wasn't going to disappoint them on that front.

As she was about to head inside, anxious to get to her mission, Chat Noir casually walked around the corner. In the semi-darkness of the street, she thought at first that he hadn't dressed up, but then she noticed his bandana and his large black shirt, taken in at the waist by his belt, from which his baton hung like a sword. 

"'Evening, m'lady." He bowed as he approached. "Your nickname is particularly fitting tonight, may I presume I was a source of inspiration?" He quipped as he took in the majesty of her dress. As a designer's son, he could appreciate how much work must have gone into the gown, not to mention its accompanying feathered hairdo.

"Don't worry, they're not real. Wouldn’t want you to sneeze all over a bunch of kids, would we Chaton?" She smirked as she caught him looking apprehensively at her hair accessories. "Also, I like your costume, Westley, but couldn't you have gone for something a little more… original?" She asked. Not that it wasn't a good costume; she did very much like the Princess Bride and its hero. She also appreciated how handsome her partner looked with a more rugged style.

"Sorry, Bugaboo, it's been a busy week." He shrugged apologetically. "Also, I thought we were making our own costumes, _sans_ the help of actual designers. I would've asked Marinette too, otherwise." He said pointedly, indicating the designer's embroidered logo at the bottom of the skirt. 

Ladybug swore internally, while noting how much her partner paid attention to detail. She'd absentmindedly signed her work on her sketch, and forgotten to remove the gold stitching when she made it. She'd realised it a minute before leaving, and had counted on its discretion rather than risking being late. Oh well, as long as Chat believed she'd hired Marinette…

Chat continued his rant. "Plus you have it easy, as a woman. You can just slip on a dress to cover your costume! How am I supposed to cover all this leather, even a kilt wouldn't do." He pouted.

"What about a cape?" She winked at him as she slung her arm in his, directing him towards the hospital entrance.

"But Edna said no capes!" He gasped as they walked in, enjoying their proximity and giddy at the thought that she'd initiated it, for once. 

She rolled her eyes and shook her head in response, the small smile tugging at her lips giving her amusement away. 

She reluctantly (because it was slightly cold in the hall, of course) let go of Chat's arm as they approached the main desk and greeted the receptionist. Although the latter tried to keep a straight face, she could tell he was torn between surprise, internal fangirling (she wondered if there was a more gender neutral term for it) and a detached attitude. 

"Good evening sir," she smiled warmly. "I believe you have something for us." She looked behind him and pointed at the large hand trolley, on which were piled Tom and Sabine cake boxes. It wasn’t necessarily very traditional for Halloween, but then again, it wasn’t a very celebrated holiday in France, and she doubted the children had access to pastries very often.

It had been weird casually striding into her parents’ bakery as Ladybug and pretending to not know very much about their products, when she knew exactly what she wanted. She’d ordered enough to cover the sugar needs of all the Paris hospitals, complete with diet restrictions, so when Sabine had told her the order was on the house, she’d almost slammed all her money in the tip jar anyway. The way her Mum had looked at her then reminded her of when she talked back sometimes, and she knew better than to open that door. She had respectfully backed down on the payment front, but had been particularly zealous in the kitchen as Marinette to compensate. Marinette had also insisted on delivering the order straight to the hospital earlier in the afternoon, despite her parents’ reservations at the idea. It was the least she could do. 

“Oh yes, of course! Let me bring it out for you.” The lad almost tripped as he stood up, but thankfully didn’t crash on the trolley. That would have been awkward. As he wheeled out the bounty, Ladybug noticed how hungry Chat’s eyes looked as he followed the movement of the food. She smiled lovingly and leaned towards his ear. 

“Don’t worry, I saved you some.” She whispered, and he shuddered in delight at the thought of Tom and Sabine’s passionfruit macarons, chouquettes and croissants. 

“You sure know how to get to a man’s heart, m’lady.”

“By getting to his stomach first?” She asked cheekily.

They were interrupted by the receptionist clearing his throat, uncomfortably wringing his hands as he waited by the lift with the goods. Ladybug jumped away from her partner and made her way towards him, Chat hot on her heels.

“Thank you so much…” She trailed, waiting for the man to give his name.

“Patrick.” He completed, grinning. Ladybug knew his name, now. 

“Thank you, Patrick.” She smiled.

The heroes took their leave and ascended to the children’s ward. When the lift doors opened, they were greeted by a group of pirates, princes, princesses, witches, wizards, and even Miraculous impersonators, little treat bags at the ready as they waited with nurses in what Ladybug assumed was the ward’s lounge. The kids gasped and cheered as they walked out.

“Trick or treat!” Chat called out, earning himself a round of giddy laughter. Giving each other an understood glance, Chat and Ladybug separated into the small crowd, each going to one side of the room.

“You look like a princess!” A little Rena Rouge fan in an arm cast squeaked as Ladybug approached her.

“Thank you, Rena! But what happened to your arm? How will we fight the Akuma without your help?” Ladybug asked with her best shocked expression.

The little girl giggled in response, which made Marinette smile. She gave her some pastries “to help her recover quickly”, and went to join Chat. Her partner was having a pretend sword fight with a pirate. He was surprisingly good with children, she noticed. And he looked great laughing as he parried an attack. Did he fence, like Adrien? Maybe she could ask him to give her lessons. _Not_ to spend more time with him, and _definitely not_ to see him in a fencing uniform, which she had to admit would be particularly fitting on his muscled figure. It could just… prove to be handy if they ever swapped Miraculouses again.

She felt a small tug at her skirt, originating from the hand of a ten year-old boy wearing a Ladybug costume, sitting in a wheelchair.

“Hello there, Bugaboy!” She squatted down to be at eye level with him, her skirt sprawling out in a corolla at her feet. Some children bent down to touch the elaborate fabric. “What’s your name?”

“I can’t reveal my identity, or the Guardian will take my Miraculous away.” The boy grinned as she handed him a macaron.

“And you dare tell me you don’t say it that often.” Chat leaned on the back of a nearby chair, smirking. “Well done young man, you’ve done your research.” He winked at the kid.

Ladybug shook her head, refraining from saying that _he_ was the one preventing them from knowing who was behind the mask now. She couldn’t say it out loud, there was some press around to record their visit, and even when they did sit down and talk about their identities, it would be best if the general public was kept in the dark about that knowledge for as long as possible.

“I want to be Ladybug when I grow up.” Mini Bug said proudly. 

“You’d put me out of a job?” Ladybug said with a fake pained expression.

“Not if you don’t want to!” The boy’s eyes went wide at the thought he might have offended his favourite superhero. “I just assumed you’d want to rest in the future. It must be very tiring to battle against Hawkmoth all the time.”

“He’s got a point there, Bugaboo.” Chat acquiesced. “She won’t listen to me when I tell her she also deserves some time off.” He fake whispered in the boy’s direction.

“That’s because you always want it to be time off for you too!” She scoffed. “You’re always inviting me for ice creams or movie dates at the same time, how am I to relax knowing nobody competent is watching over the city?”

Chat’s heart sung at the compliment. “If that’s the only thing keeping you from going out with me, I’m sure I can find a solution, m’lady. You know, Rena and Carapace would certainly do a grand job.” He tried to keep a detached demeanor, but knowing he was so close to her accepting to go on a date with him was making his heart go haywire. 

She pouted pensively, twirling a strand of hair that had fallen out of her hairdo, then shrugged. “As you wish, farmboy.” 

Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for his answer. It felt like time had slowed. Was this too soon? “Kelly” had only been out of the picture for about a month now. Was it enough time to get over someone?

A stolen glance at him answered her question. Looking at him, she could tell Chat was repressing a smile. His eyes twinkled as he looked at her like protagonists look at each other in romantic comedies. The way everyone should be looked at at least once in their life. He gave a nod in the direction of the room, reminding her they were not alone. She nodded back, their brief exchange imperceptible for common mortals.

If the warm hug and lingering kiss he left on her cheek as they parted after remaining a little longer with the kids were any indication, she knew she’d said the right thing. Although it could have also been credited to the bag of pastries she’d handed him a minute before.


	5. Days 6 & 7 - Rose and Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cross interviews of the two Paris superheroes lead to feelings being exposed. Almost. (Reference to the Day 1 prompt)

“Good evening everyone, Nadja Chamack here with a special interview with Paris’ favourite male hero: Chat Noir! Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news!”

“Hey guys, welcome to a new session of Ladyblog live with Alya! Today, we are with the one and only Ladybug for a special interview! Stay tuned!”

\---

“Ladybug? Oh, she’s amazing. A real lucky charm. Truly, I doubt any of us would be here today if it weren’t for her. She’s…”

“The best partner I could ever ask for. I wish he was a little less self-sacrificial, but other than that… No kitten, I wouldn’t be able to do the whole saving Paris thing without him by my side. [...] Wait, did I say ‘no kitten’? Could you edit it out, please? I’ll never hear the end of it…”

“Ah yes, swapping Miraculouses. It was a fun experience, I think it really helped us get more insight into the weight of our respective Miraculouses. I’m definitely a lot more aware of how hard it is to be Ladybug. I like to think I’m a lot more serious now, and I think Ladybug is a little more relaxed. Rumour has it she makes cat puns now.”

“Are you kidding? I was terrible! I should’ve been able to put aside the fact I’m usually Ladybug and embrace this new Miraculous, but all I did was boss Chat around for most of the fight. No, clearly there’s a reason why we were chosen for one over the other. We’re still far from perfect, but being Ladybug feels a lot more natural.”

“Do I know who Ladybug is? Of course I do! A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. [...] Romeo and Juliet, exactly. It just means that it’s not because she wears a mask that she would be a different person out of costume. I know she’s caring, thoughtful, intelligent, quick thinking, bossy but still fun… She also has great taste in terms of pastries, I’ll take the opportunity to give a shout out to the Tom and Sabine Bakery, you’re the cat’s meow! [... ] Seriously though, she could be… an Emilie, a Marinette or a Nadja, she would still be my favourite rose. Whenever the time comes to reveal our identities, I don’t think much will change. The only thing I’d expect is us being able to spend more time together, and-”

“Share more of our daily lives with each other. It’s been really great opening up, sometimes juggling both identities can get a little heavy, and it’s something we can now talk about. It’s nice knowing we’re not alone. [...] Oh yes, we’re taking all the necessary precautions, we modify our daily life stories enough to prevent any of us from tracing it back to someone in particular, if by any chance we know each other out of costume. I think we really needed this, you know. I probably shouldn’t say this to you, but he’s my best friend.”

“Is there something more between us? Well, maybe. Do best friends go around saving a city every day? Would they know exactly what the other is thinking from a slight change in their eye colour? Can they anticipate each other’s movements? You tell me.”

“It’s definitely a complicated relationship. We know everything and nothing about each other. Take the guy I used to have a crush on, for example… I could tell you his beverage preference, what his order at the local bakery was, his schedule, what constituted a good enough excuse for his… parents to let him go out… I’m not sure I even know what Chat Noir’s favourite colour is. I can tell you what his favourite pastry is, though.”

\---

“Plagg, could you please rewind that last part?” Adrien turned around in his desk chair, taking a closer look at the TV. Alya’s interview of Ladybug was too important to watch on his computer screen. Not to mention he actually needed the latter to do his homework.

“I really don’t understand why you insist on watching this when we could be watching a documentary on mountain cheese. My stores are running low, I need to know what to buy next!” The Kwami replied moodily as he gulped down a piece of Camembert. He did as he was asked nonetheless.

“I already told you I’m taping that, you’ll be able to watch it next.” Adrien made his way closer to the screen, leaning on the back of his sofa. “There. She compared me to the guy she had a crush on, right?”

“Sounds like it. Oh Kwami, here we go again, you’re going to be all sappy now, aren’t you?” Plagg rolled his eyes.

“I prefer the term cheesy, because I know deep inside you like it.” Adrien winked. The comparison could be a coincidence. But If he really was her best friend… Shouldn’t she have compared him to her other best friend? The girl she’d called Alice? A devilish grin spread to his face as he thought about the possibility that she’d just confessed her feelings to the world wide web.

\---

“Bluebell blue.” Chat called out at the end of their next patrol.

“What?” Ladybug looked puzzled, and scanned their surroundings for anything that could have prompted that comment. Either she was blind, or her partner was going slightly mad.

“That’s my favourite colour.”

He watched her furrowed brow turn into a look of realisation as she figured out what he was talking about. “You watched my interview.” And she knew exactly what part of it he was referring to. It had been careless, but less so than starting to talk about Alya with Alya. 

“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world, m’lady.” He smiled. “Any additional comments you’d like to make, off the record?Just you and I? And the Paris night sky?” He prompted, leaning in closer to her.

“Iridescent green.” She blurted, cringing internally. That was Adrien’s eye colour. It fitted Chat’s eyes as well, but she wasn’t being very original. It was his fault she’d had to speak so quickly though, her mind had frozen as soon as he’d gotten too close. She bet he knew how flustered it made her feel.

“Huh?” He pulled back, his turn to look quizzically at her.

“That’s _my_ favourite colour.” If he’d been expecting a full declaration, he’d be disappointed. She wasn’t going to tell him how she felt on a random roof, as a by-the-way before they left patrol. Not when he’d once organised a fully romantic setting, complete with candles and roses. 

He’d just have to be patient.


	6. Day 8 - Kwami swap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small comic, based on my headcanon that Ladynoire definitely would drive around on a motorbike (it just fits her aesthetic)

  
  
  
  
  


Text (because writing on a phone screen is _hard_ , and also because I have no clue if it'll turn out alright on AO3):  
Panel 1: Hmm…  
Panel 2: Where is she?!  
Panel 3: Heh, look who’s waiting now?  
Panel 4: Hey Bugaboy! Catch!  
Panel 5: Well then Mr Bug, Cat got your tongue?  
Panel 6: Hop on Bugaboy, we’re going Akuma ass kicking!


	7. Day 9 - Fist-bump

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sort of companion to Day 8 (but I swapped them back to their normal Miraculouses for a bit) - Ladybug and Chat Noir deal with a bunch of medical student Akumatisations outside of Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick word for context: There’s no selection to get into first year medical school in France, the only limit is pretty much the number of students a university can take at a time in that particular section (around 2,000/uni in Paris). The selection occurs during first year; there are two exam sessions, one in December and one in May/June, and based on your ranking in them (not your actual results) you might be able to get into second year. Only 300 spots are open for that. It’s intense, people are stressed, some faint during the exams. Perfect fodder for Hawkmoth’s little Akumas?

“We really need to stop Hawkmoth, this is getting out of hand.” Chat Noir shouted more than he said, the wind muffling his words as they drove towards the latest Akumatisation scene. 

He enjoyed the freedom of riding a motorbike, Ladybug being particularly skilled at weaving in and out of traffic to reach long stretches of road with barely any obstacles, not to mention the fact he got an excuse to hug her when they did, but it was getting tiring to travel across the length and breadth of the Ile-de-France region every day. Thank Kwami they were both at University now, with a lot more time on their hands than when they were still in Collège or Lycée. He had a fond memory of Mrs Bustier and all the times she’d accepted his honestly questionable lateness excuses, but clearly it would have been a lot more awkward had the attacks happened further than a couple of streets away. Thinking about it, they probably wouldn’t have been able to fight the Akumas had it always been this way. Parisian public transport could be… unreliable at times, but it would have been the only solution to get out of the centre of the city for two teenagers. Unless he’d somehow managed to bribe the Gorilla into driving Ladybug and Chat Noir around, but he doubted that it would’ve gone unnoticed by his father.

Unfortunately for them, they hadn’t been the only ones to become more confident using their powers as time passed. Hawkmoth, now shouldered by a fully recovered Mayura, had also developed new abilities, like being able to Akumatise several people at the same time, at further distances. Thank Kwami for the heroes, though, it seemed like the victims all had to be together, so at least they could focus on one thing at a time and not split between several locations. 

“You know as well as I do that we’re doing our best.” Ladybug replied, shooting him a pained smile in the rearview mirror. 

“Of course, but targeting stressed medical students is low, even for him.” It was the second time this happened this academic year, the first time having been right before Christmas. First year students, whose only crime was to want to get into second year despite the general odds being against them, were taken over by negative feelings as they waited for their exams to start. And then while they were sitting said exams. So much stress, and all for a vocation that was already stressful. Surely there was a better way to select students.

“I don’t know, wasn’t it worse when he akumatised teenagers?” Ladybug thought about all of her friends who’d been targeted in their young years. At least now they’d developed some sort of resistance when it came to negative feelings. That, or the fact a lot of them had been given Miraculouses gave them more mental strength.

“You’re right.” Chat Noir sighed. The bottom line was, Hawkmoth was a terrible guy. They’d gotten fairly close to stopping him a couple of times, but never enough to get a good clue as to who the man was. They just knew he operated from somewhere on the Right Bank. 

The pair drove up to the exam hall. Chat ran towards the commotion and readied his Cataclysm as he made his way towards the doors, while Ladybug parked her bike. Whoever had been akumatised had decided to stay inside, if the noise could be trusted. Chat was looking through the small door window to assess what they were dealing with when Ladybug jogged up to him.

“So?” She asked.

“There’s a suspicious amount of… peas on the floor. And a lot of tables flying about. Maybe this is actually a Kitchen Nightmares set?” Chat joked, then jerked back as a chair hit the door from the inside.

“Doubt it, but if it is, there’s only one thing left to say, Chaton: A table!”

Chat grinned as he destroyed the door, loving his Lady’s clever retort. The two heroes strode into the huge hall, which was pretty much empty but for a dozen people who were clearly at the origin of the destruction. They also spotted a couple of curious heads peeking from nearby bathroom entrances, who gave them a hopeful smile before scurrying back to their hiding places. Ladybug caught a flying piece of paper and read it. 

“Mendel’s first law of heredity. That would explain the peas.” 

“So no physics this time?” Chat was disappointed. He’d enjoyed flexing his calculation skills. He knew that, deep inside, they impressed Ladybug.

“Doesn’t seem like it.” She was completely out of her depth with most of the concepts on the test, having abandoned most sciences a couple of years beforehand. It’s not like she needed to be good at biology or genetics to be a designer.

“I guess we’ll just have to wing it, then.” Chat shrugged before starting to run towards the villains. Ladybug followed suit.

—

“Pound it!” The two heroes did their usual fist-bump as the magical ladybugs restored the room to its original state. Lines of small desks and chairs, regularly spaced out and arranged into subgroups filled the hall as peas turned back into students and the akumatised victims shakily got back on their feet. As the pair checked on everybody’s health, they were approached by a short man in a suit, who introduced himself as the Dean’s Assistant.

“Thank you for your help, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Thanks to you, we’ll be able to resume the schedule, with only a slight holdup.” He shook their hands gratefully as the students made their way to their individual desks, following the instructions of the exam head supervisor that echoed in the hall.

“You’re not seriously going to make them sit the exam when they’ve just gone through a traumatic event?” Ladybug stared at him in disbelief.

“We don’t have much choice, it would be too complicated to reschedule. We’re going to cancel the genetics test, but there’s no reason to do so for the rest; they were all in the same boat.”

“But people deal with stress very differently! And what about the people who were Akumatised, they didn’t go through the same situation at all!” Ladybug was fuming now. 

The man shrugged helplessly. Chat gave him a small nod and stirred Ladybug away from him. 

“I’m not sure there’s anything we can do about this, except hang around and lookout for other black butterflies or feathers. Sorry, Bugaboo.” He patted her back gently. 

“But it’s just so unfair! Some of these students were probably as close as ready for this as they could have been, but with all the panic… None of them is in condition to take an exam like this right now.” She shook her head in disgust. 

“I know.” He looked down. As much as he wanted to help, he knew that demonstrating to give the students more time to recover from the attack would probably not work, and also prolong their suffering. They were supposed to be on holiday at the end of the day, postponing the exam would just add more stress on them, and on the teachers who’d have to come up with new questions. It was a recipe for disaster. 

He suddenly had a lightbulb moment, which had him snake an arm around his partner’s waist as he smiled at her and walked her towards the exit. “I do know something we can do to make them feel better, though, but we’ll have to exchange our Miraculouses for it.” 

Curiosity sparkled in Ladybug’s eyes as she looked at him. “I’m all ears, Chaton.”

—

When the chief supervisor’s voice resonated in the hall to signal the end of exams and to invite the students to leave the building, Ladynoire and Mr. Bug were ready at the main door. They greeted every kid coming out with an enthusiastic “pound it!” and a pastry, which resulted in tired grins to bloom on everyone’s faces. Ladynoire had probably never driven so fast to and from her home bakery than today. She needed to get the treats back in time, though, and to help Mr Bug as a lookout.

“I’m sure you did great today, I hope you’ll enjoy your time off now!” Mr Bug enthusiastically congratulated a group of students exiting the room. He’d gotten a small group of first-years he’d judged were in poor shape to sit down in an area behind him, and he regularly went to check up on them between pastry-giving and selfie-taking.

Ladynoire did her best to keep up with the steady flow of students, but watching her partner deal with them got her thinking about how great he was with people. She could, and had, dealt with some Akumas on her own, but there was no denying he was the best at comforting the victims, which was just as important. She knew it from experiencing it first hand. What would she (and Paris) do without his soothing words and hugs?


	8. Day 10 - Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you pile up too many things, they'll eventually come tumbling down. Ladybug experiences it first hand with her feelings crushing her into a breakdown. Of course Chat Noir is here to help her back up, though.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. 

Chat Noir had thought things were better now. He’d assumed he’d earned her trust. That Ladybug and himself were comfortable enough to share when they were feeling a little down, to prevent negative emotions from piling up too much. It had been their pact.

Of course, he’d noticed she hadn’t been quite herself in the past few weeks. She’d dismissed his concern, saying school was busier than usual. He’d believed her, what with the Brevet approaching. It didn’t hold as much significance as it once did, but it was the first official exam the two teenagers would take. He wasn’t too stressed about it, his coursework grades being sufficient for him to pass (he doubted it would go down well if he came back with just a pass when he could clearly aim for a _mention très bien_ , but at least it was a security), but he could very well understand people feeling pressured to do well, and Ladybug seemed like she could be that kind of person.

He didn’t think exam stress could account for her hysterically sobbing in his arms as he carefully stroked her hair, though. All he’d done was crack a stupid joke. He couldn’t even remember it, but it really wasn’t his best work. He’d found it weird when she’d laughed at it, but her laugh had been so rare lately that he’d just enjoyed listening to her. The melodious sound he’d missed so much had soon escalated into tears of laughter, which had really gotten his attention. There was no way what he’d said was that funny. He’d cautiously approached his best friend, tentatively wrapping an arm around her.

“Is everything alright, m'lady?” He’d whispered, internally cursing how useless he sounded. Of course everything wasn’t alright. 

The only answer he’d gotten was Ladybug collapsing into his chest as she started to bawl uncontrollably. He’d taken it in stride, immediately scooting closer to her on the roof to embrace her completely. 

He whispered soothingly as he stroked her hair, patiently waiting for her to speak. 

“I’m so - tired - Chaton.” She hiccuped in between two sobs. “I just don’t know - what to do - anymore.”

“If you tell me what this is about, maybe I could help you, Bugaboo.” He replied, concern seeping through his words. 

She took a shaky breath which calmed her trembling, but she stayed put, her face still buried in his arms. “It’s been months, and we’re still no closer to catching Hawkmoth than we were when Master Fu was around.” Her voice was muffled as she spoke in his leather suit, so Chat had to listen carefully to hear what she was saying. “I don’t even know what to do, and…”

She suddenly stopped speaking and pushed him back slightly, wiping her tears as she did so in a futile gesture as they continued streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be burdening you with this. I shouldn’t be breaking down like this.” She siffled. “Paris needs a strong Guardian.”

Chat Noir wanted to scream. What did she mean, she didn’t want to burden him? Did she not know that seeing her be this miserable was a million times worse than if she confided her doubts as they came along? His hatred towards Hawkmoth grew a thousand-fold as he watched her, the usual sparkle in his partner’s eye gone as she tried to contain her sadness. If the man appeared right there and then, Chat was ready to yeet him out of this universe without even giving him the presumption of innocence French Justice would bestow.

Instead, he carefully held her by the shoulders. Her eyes escaped his gaze. “Hey.” He said gently, and she looked up slightly, her body silently shaking as she cried. “It’s completely normal to feel down, my Lady. But never, ever beat yourself up for it.” 

She nodded to the ground.

“I mean it, Bugaboo.” He insisted. “Please, for the love of Kwami, talk to me about it when it happens. Or any other Miraculous holder. I paw-mise you, I’m up for sharing the load with you, and I’m sure even Queen Bee would be if you’d let her have her Miraculous back.”

Ladybug took a deep breath and looked at him, her blue eyes even more piercing with tears in them. “I’m only fifteen.” She simply said. “How am I supposed to save the world?” 

Chat wished he had a step by step guide to defeating Hawkmoth he could simply whip out to put her at ease. “With my help. And everybody else’s.” He smiled bravely. “I’m sure if we sit down together, with Rena, Carapace, possibly Queen Bee, Alya the Ladyblogger and some other well-chosen people,” he had a thought for everyone in his class, especially Marinette, whom he knew could be very perspicacious, “we could figure out something. The identities of Hawkmoth and Mayura, or at least their location, for a start. Maybe we could come up with a plan to lure them out.”

Ladybug was sitting straighter, listening attentively. Encouraged by the change in body language, Chat ploughed on with ideas which slowly degenerated into silliness. It made his partner laugh, and this time it seemed genuine.

She gave him a small smile as she wiped her eyes. “What would I ever do without you, Chaton?”

“You know I’d never leave you, my Lady.”

“You and me against the world?”

“Forever and always, Bugaboo.”


	9. Day 11 - Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir announces his breakup to Ladybug. It doesn't go exactly as planned, but purr-haps it's for the best. (Reference to Day 1, takes place before Days 3, 4, 6, 7 since he's not in a relationship anymore at that point and Ladybug knows it)

Chat Noir had messed up. He definitely hadn’t see things going like this in all the different scenarios he’d imagined. Somehow, though, reality was a lot better than all of his nocturnal flights of fancy combined. 

Kagami had decided to call it quits. Always level-headed, the girl had invited Adrien to a café and presented an exposé of why it wasn’t going to work out. They were both at fault; she’d been travelling a lot more to Japan, lately, and whatever little time she spent in Paris always coincided with Adrien’s photo shoots or his other activities. Almost all of their dates had been interrupted by an Akuma, which always seemed to split them up. They would be better off spending time together as friends, without the pressure of a relationship.

Adrien had been a little hurt that she’d beat him to the breakup, but in retrospect he wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to be as eloquent as she was. Everything was very polished, and when he’d seen her next it was clear there were no hard feelings on her side. It had been a relief. Just because he didn’t love Kagami didn’t mean she wasn’t a good friend.

He’d pondered how to tell Ladybug. Something in the way she behaved lately gave him hope that this time, something might happen between them. Maybe both of them being in a relationship had been beneficial in terms of elucidating their feelings. He couldn’t be giddy about his breakup though. Firstly, because he wasn’t - it was still the end of a relationship -, secondly, because it would be of incredibly bad taste. She’d probably think he was a psychopath, and she’d be right. He needed to wait a little anyway, for the sake of discretion.

The day he’d chosen came, though, and he still had no idea what to say. He’d arrived early to their patrol meeting point and paced around, looking for inspiration in the clouds. Which is why he hadn’t seen the small brick that was in his way, and proceeded to stub his little toe and trip on it. He yelped and fell on his knees, clutching his foot, tears gathering in his eyes. He’d fallen so many times, slid across the ground, landed at angles that should have left him with twisted ankles as Chat Noir and never felt a thing. Why, in Kwami’s name, didn’t that protection apply to his toes?!

There was a small thump behind him followed by light pitter-patter as Ladybug ran to kneel by his side.

“What happened, Chaton?” 

She looked so worried that he felt stupid telling her the real reason he was lying on the ground. A tear rolled down his cheek. He’d have a word with Plagg later.

She stroked his hair gently, pushing it back from his face. It took all his might not to purr. “It’s Kelly, isn’t it?” She whispered, referring to the code name he’d given his girlfriend.

He nodded miserably, internally thanking her for providing a plausible excuse for his sorry state. “How did you know?” He croaked through the still throbbing pain.

“You haven’t talked about her in a while.” Ladybug’s thumb went to his cheek and wiped a tear away. “I’m so sorry Chaton, I don’t know what to say.” 

Part of her was sad to see her partner like this. Part of her wanted to kiss him, although that would have been wildly inappropriate. He would think she had lost her mind at best, and he wouldn’t have been entirely wrong. She went for what appeared to her as the best solution, a hug. Slightly tighter than a friend would give, perhaps, but who cared. As long as her leaping heart didn’t give her away, she could get away with it. Especially since Chat was hugging her back just as tightly.

“She doesn’t deserve you.” She rubbed circles on his back with her thumbs as she held him. _I’m not sure I deserve you either, but I promise I wouldn’t make you cry like this_ , she silently added. 

He nodded, his face nuzzled in her neck, enjoying every second in his Lady’s arms. He needed to wipe the smile off of his face before he could consider letting go of her. 

As she continued talking soothingly in his ear, he doubted that would be any time soon. _What a bummer_. He could hardly even feel the pain in his foot anymore.

Purrhaps he’d have to thank Plagg, after all.


	10. Day 12 - Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug considers her fall for Chat Noir.

The thing about falling is that you generally don’t have time to register what exactly is happening to you. During longer falls, though, the fear of what comes at the end generally grips you enough to let a survival instinct kick in, leading you to put your arms out to cushion the crash. Or in Ladybug’s case, to yoyo herself to safety.

Falling came with the job. The Parisian rooftops were her primary path, and she launched herself from one to another so often that there were bound to be a couple mishaps every once in a while. Add to that all the times she’d have to save civilians, akumatised victims, or even Chat Noir when he tried to protect her but ended up halfway to testing the theory that cats always land on their feet, and you could say she spent more time in the air than she did with her feet solidly anchored to the ground.

In fact, Ladybug was so used to falling that she almost didn’t notice it anymore when she did. Her body knew exactly what to do before she could register what was happening to her. Except when it didn’t.

She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment she’d stumbled. Had it been at the very beginning, when she’d seen Chat Noir so confident as he went after Stoneheart despite his confessed ignorance of what they were supposed to do? His trust that whoever had chosen them had done so for a reason when she’d been ready to quit? His determined green eyes? His laugh as he learned to navigate his powers? 

She didn’t know when she’d tripped, either. Once upon a time, she would have said there was no way his puns could’ve had that effect, but she wasn’t so sure anymore. Could it have been that night on the balcony, when she’d realised how much she’d underestimated her partner? She’d discovered a whole new part of him, sensitive, thoughtful and understanding. Her confidence that he was just her partner had certainly taken her hit, but she couldn’t be completely sure it had been then either. Maybe the day they’d fought Inverso? He’d lost his confidence, yet had somehow found it in him to save her and trust her. 

Maybe she couldn’t say when, but a day had definitely come when her heart had stopped beating for Adrien Agreste. Her Chaton had gradually been filling her thoughts. He was the first person she thought about when something happened to her. He was the one she wanted to share everything with, her hopes and dreams, but also her worst fears. Chat Noir was the only person she knew she’d never get tired of talking with. She couldn’t deny that seeing the nightmarish version of herself Sandboy had summoned had hurt her more than it should have. She hated that he could think that she hated him. Because she really couldn’t. However annoying he could be sometimes, there was nothing akin to dislike in her feelings towards him. And if her reaction to his banter with Rena Rouge or Ryuko could say anything, those feelings were the complete opposite. 

The day Ladybug realised that was the day she knew one thing was certain: she had been falling. A slow, long fall into a love she wasn’t sure she could see the bottom of. Except this time, she didn’t want to try to save herself. 

Not when Chat’s arms were the ones she’d be falling into.


	11. Day 13 - Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug's not fooling anyone, even if she doesn't say it out loud, she enjoys cuddling her partner.

There was one place Ladybug knew she would always long for, although she wasn’t sure she was ready to admit it out loud. Not now, anyway. There was just something inherently comfortable about Chat Noir’s arms. She didn’t know if it was the magic leather that made them so soft, or if the warmth came from the person, the fact remained that she found herself craving his cuddles more and more.

It helped that being with him was one of the only situations she felt safe enough to sleep these days. Not that she didn’t feel safe at home, but knowing he was watching the city while she lay in his arms seemed to keep the nightmares at bay. She’d woken up several times on his chest, her arms clutching his torso like a pillow, stars shining above them when she could have sworn the last conscious thought she’d had had been when the Sun was still up, and she’d simply been leaning against his shoulder.

Chat had rapidly caught onto what was happening, and somehow managed to bring a hammock to their favourite rooftop to make it more comfortable for her. For himself, as well; he loved having her so close, looking so relaxed, but having her in his arms made him terrified of breathing a little too hard, lest he woke her up with the sudden movement. He would’ve died for her (she didn’t like to hear it, but it didn’t make it any less of a fact), but if it ever happened he hoped it would be for something a little more romantic than enabling her to take a nap. The slow sway of the hammock also allowed him to conceal his purrs efficiently. She didn’t seem to mind them, hazily smiling in her sleep when one escaped him, but they made him a little self-conscious.

As much as she loved cuddling with Chat as she slept (whoever ended up doing it every night would be a lucky lady), Ladybug much preferred doing it when she was awake. Which might have been one of the reasons she’d instigated a weekly movie night, which had become a staple of their schedules. Officially, of course, it was because of her partner’s pathetic cinematographic culture. For someone who claimed to have taste, he’d seen very few of the movies she would classify as classics, and those ranged from Disney to science fiction, by way of comedy, Oscar-winning pictures and action. She’d even accepted to watch some horror movies, if she could watch them buried in Chat’s strong arms. 

She loved feeling his emotions from the way he moved. His laughter, which had his chest vibrating beneath her. The way he clutched her tighter when there was tension. The way he smiled gently and leaned his head on top of hers with a little sigh when two characters shared a romantic moment.

She felt safe there. From Hawkmoth, but also from herself. Cuddling with him as she sat with her back to his chest, she was less tempted to kiss him. 

Who knows what Pandora’s box that would open.


	12. Day 14 - Chat Blanc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-Chat Blanc discussions. Ladybug has to tell Chat Noir about his akumatised self at some point, right?

Ladybug ran as fast as she could. Hearing his voice over the miracuphone had not been enough. _He_ ’d had that voice, too. Even if Paris was back to normal, even if he hadn’t called her Marinette this time around, she needed to know she’d fixed it.

Making her way up to the Tour Montparnasse, she yoyoed herself next to her partner. He was sitting on the edge of the roof, his legs dangling into the void, humming to himself. _He_ had been too. Her sudden arrival had him turn around, a warm smile spreading to his eyes. 

“Hey Bugaboo! So what was that sudden call for?” 

She let out the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. No name calling. He didn’t remember. And he was himself, once again. Clad in black, the iciness of his blue stare gone, melted to the usual field of green that felt like Home. 

“I did it.” She sighed as she let her head rest on top of his shoulder. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m purr-fectly fine with it.” She could feel him try to stay still as they basked in the soft sunset light. She scooted closer to him and his arm flew to her waist, encouraging her proximity. 

She would’ve liked to forget it all and stay like this forever. Just the two of them, sitting on a roof, enjoying the view. Had their alternate selves done this before their world collapsed? She wanted to ignore the questions. She couldn’t deal with the pain of knowing their relationship had almost destroyed the world. It hurt more than it should have. Although she’d have trouble admitting it to him, the idea that she and Chat Noir could date was not that far fetched. But if the cold, white world was what destiny had in store for her and her Chaton, she’d reluctantly give it up to see him happy instead. 

She kept a brave smile on her face. “We’ll talk about it later, I promise.” She whispered. “I just need to process it all first.”

“That’s alright, m’lady. I’ll wait.” Chat leaned his head on top of hers. A sudden flashback to underwater Paris under the unforgiving Sun made her want to cry. She hugged Chat tighter instead.

—

Weeks had passed, and the nightmares were spacing out. Ladybug had pushed back her talk with Chat too many times already, fearing the return of Chat Blanc. He needed to know, though. Why, despite her recent tactility (she _had_ to check he was real anytime she’d see him), her mild jealousy, she would be harsher than usual in her rebukes.

“Remember Bunnix?” She asked one day after a quiet patrol. 

“She’s hard to forget.” He still pondered what she’d meant when he’d asked her about he and Ladybug in the future. He’d just wanted to know if they had a chance.

“She came to get me, the other week.” She fiddled with her hands as she sat, her eyes doing their best to ignore her partner.

“I know she doesn’t like me very much because of the whole broken Miraculous business, but why didn’t she come and see me, too?” Since their meeting at the Tour Montparnasse, he’d waited patiently for Ladybug to come and talk to him, to tell him what was up with her. This seemed to be it. A trip to an alternate reality was a plausible explanation for her sudden change in behaviour.

“Because it was you that I needed to save.” Her eyes finally met his, tears gathering in them as she remembered his own sadness. She quickly wiped them and averted her gaze. 

Chat Noir took her hand in his and squeezed it, giving her courage to continue.

“From what you- Chat Blanc was saying,” she corrected herself. Akumas weren’t the real person. They _couldn’t_ be. “ We dated. He knew my name; apparently we were happy for a while.”

“And then you got tired of my antics and dramatically broke up with me, so I got akumatised.” Chat Noir completed in a joking tone, internally fearing the truth of his words.

“No!” Ladybug was horrified by his statement. “Chaton, I swear I would never, _ever_ get tired of you.”

Chat’s lips spread into a small smile, but his grip on Ladybug’s hand was tightening. “What happened, then?” He asked quietly.

“Hawkmoth. He somehow learned who you were and targeted you. It must have been important because he actually came out of hiding for you.”

“How do you know? Was he still hanging around?”

It was her turn to cling harder to his hands. “Not… physically.” She took a deep breath, recalling how her alter ego had crumbled under her fingers. “You were alone, Chaton. You had super cataclysm powers, and when I arrived… The whole of Paris was destroyed. Flooded. You broke the Moon, too.”

“That’s one hell of an akuma.” He whispered quietly. 

“I’m not kidding when I tell you that I can’t lose you.” She smiled sadly at their entangled hands. 

There was a moment of silence as he processed the information. She hadn’t been explicit about it, but he could picture what had happened. How many people had died because of him? Had some Parisians managed to escape? Had his father been protected in the fortress that was their Home? What about his friends?

“Do you know how it happened?” He asked in a strangled voice. 

“It was all my fault.” She shook her head. “I was careless, one of my friends learned who I was. I trust him, but I guess he told someone about it, and Hawkmoth got the information by word of mouth.” She wouldn’t have been surprised if the information had somehow leaked on the Ladyblog.

“But that doesn’t make sense, you said Hawkmoth learned who _I_ was.” 

“I guess if we dated, and if my identity was out of the bag, then you must have told me who you were too? And we must have slipped.” She ventured, but he was right. It didn’t add up. Surely the Guardian would’ve said something, had the fact they knew each other been common knowledge. “I don’t know. And Bunnix wouldn’t tell me.”

“Of course not. It might have been useful to prevent it from happening again.” He replied sarcastically.

“I’m sure she had her reasons.” 

Another silence. Ladybug didn’t know what to say. She agreed with him, but if her future self trusted Alix… Surely she was just doing her job.

“Did you tell the Guardian?” Chat finally broke the silence. 

“Not yet. I’m going to see him tomorrow.” This was about Chat. Master Fu could wait.

“Thank you.”

“I’m so sorry, Chaton.” She felt the tears return to her eyes and anxiously looked around for any dark wings, as she had ever since she’d returned from the mission. She didn’t wish for Chat to go through the nightmare she’d experienced.

“I know, Bugaboo.” His gaze was empty. 

She stayed next to him for most of the night, terrified of what would happen if she left. Only when the Sun started reappearing above the horizon did she reluctantly let go. As she watched him spring from rooftop to rooftop, she hoped she wouldn’t be finding a box on their next patrol.

—

The next time Ladybug saw Chat Noir, it was like they’d never had the conversation. He was back with his usual joking around, with maybe a hint of sadness but she couldn’t be entirely sure. She wanted to probe him, check he was alright (if it had taken her ages to get better, surely it should take him a lot longer), but she didn’t want to hurt him either, so she just enjoyed seeing him so carefree.

“Cheer up Bugaboo!” He finally called out after yet another banter attempt that she’d barely acknowledged. 

“How?” The word escaped her lips before she could think about it.

“I’m so glad you asked.” He smiled mischievously before taking out a piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to her.

She stared blankly at it. “This just says ‘Plan to defeat Hawkmoth’.” 

“Yes. I wasn’t going to come up with a plan by myself, was I? This whole job is about team work.” He nudged her playfully. 

“But-”

“I gave it a long thought, m’lady. I know you focus on the the bad aspects of my akumatisation, but I can’t. Not if I want to keep my sanity.” He gave her a pained look. “So I’m focusing on the bright side of this story: there’s hope for you and I. Before you say anything,” he held out a hand as she opened her mouth, “I know this is not the right time. But I’ve waited so far, and I’m not going anywhere. Except to go kick Hawkmoth’s butt. Because it seems like _that’s_ our biggest obstacle.”

Ladybug nodded. Had she not been terrified of living it all again, she would’ve told him how much she liked him. How heartbroken she’d been, seeing him so sad. How it pained her not to be able to share their identities, although it would probably have been a good thing for their plan. How she needed him to know he mattered more to her than anyone else in the world. Even Adrien.

“Where do we start?” She asked instead.

The bright smile on his face and his enthusiasm made her forget her worries for a while. 

They would work it out. 

The both of them against the world.


	13. Day 15 - In sync

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fanart, yay! Just a friendly little competition between teams, don't take it purr-sonally Reyna.

Ladynoir and Renapace (obviously Rena Rouge chose the team names) had a dance off competition. Despite all of their training, Renapace lost. Rena is not happy about it. Ladybug has mixed feelings about finding the person she’s in sync with. Oh well, guess she has to hug her Chaton to celebrate their victory…

Dialogue:

Chat Noir (to Ladybug): So much for not being in sync, huh, Bugaboo?

Rena Rouge (to Carapace): I told you we should have practised more!


	14. Day 16 - First kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-reveal, post-relationship Ladynoir kisses, partly canon, partly imagined.

Ladybug couldn’t get over how nice it was to finally be dating Chat Noir. Had she known, she probably would have given in to his advances a lot earlier. She loved how she could curl up comfortably in his arms as they watched the stars at night, without feeling bad for maybe leading him on. She loved feeling him so close, feeling safe in his embrace. 

Chat Noir loved holding Ladybug. How she leaned back into him, a perfect fit in his arms. He loved hearing her speak when they cuddled, in particular when it was about them. She would get all flustered and passionate, and that was the best combination he could imagine.

“Would you tell me about our first kiss?” Chat whispered in Ladybug’s ear one night, as they sat at the very top of the Eiffel Tower.

“Which one?” She asked with a giggle, his hair tickling her neck, as she lazily traced circles on the back of the hands that were holding her.

“There’s only one first kiss.” 

“I beg to differ.” She kissed his cheek lightly.

There had been their actual first kiss, in all senses of the phrase. His, hers, _theirs_. A somewhat spontaneous kiss, which had backfired completely in terms of memorability. One of them couldn’t remember it; the other had tried to forget it, and mostly succeeded. It was just part of the job. Nothing more. 

It had been a curse-ending kiss, though. In retrospect, Ladybug should have thought about it a lot more than she had; weren’t fairytale kisses a sign of true love? And the thing with fairy tales is that they always end well. No one-sided true love nonsense; the protagonists get their happily ever after. She really should have read into it, especially given how enjoyable it had been. It had taken her a long time to admit it to Chat, but those were the facts. As much as she’d tried to swat the thought away every time it came up, every kiss she’d had with somebody else had been compared to that one. And to be completely honest, very few had felt as good.

There was also the first kiss they’d forgotten together. Again, Ladybug hadn’t minded not remembering, at first. Looking back, she should have paid more attention to it. Like Chat Noir, who had analysed their pose a million times. The way their hands were laced together. The way she stood on her tiptoes, leaning towards him. Their soft smiles as they broke off, as if they knew. Knew who they were, that they loved each other, that they were meant to be. It should have been another sign not to ignore her feelings. 

There was the first kiss when he’d known. Neither of them knew that, of course, and she didn’t know the specifics. Just that she and her Chaton had made it as a couple. She’d dismissed it entirely. Maybe that kiss was best left in Bunnix’s warren.

Back in their reality, there had been the first friendly kiss that stirred things inside of Ladybug. She’d promised Alya she’d attend her New Year’s Eve party, but had made a pact with Chat Noir that they would start the year together. It wasn’t like she’d have someone to kiss at midnight anyway; Adrien was accompanied by Kagami. She’d excused herself during the countdown and yoyoed herself up to the Eiffel Tower. He’d been waiting for her. They joked around about their friends, unaware they had just left the same party. When the fireworks erupted at their feet, Ladybug noticed the mistletoe above their heads. Chat’s gaze had followed hers and with a small shrug, they’d closed the space between them to open the new year. 

It was supposed to be a quick peck. A friendly kiss. It had left them panting, their minds fuzzy about what had happened. Ladybug had adopted the colour of her suit. It seemed to have rubbed off on Chat’s face as well. 

That colour returned anytime she thought about it afterwards. And she didn’t try to stop it. 

Not too long afterwards, they’d shared their first kiss in the rain. Destiny, in the shape of the sky, had given them a little push, probably tired of seeing their stolen glances and them postponing the inevitable conversation about New Year’s. The tension between them as they stood close, shielded from the torrential rain by a flimsy newspaper Chat had snatched as it flew past them had reached its climax as Ladybug all but jumped into his arms at the sound of roaring thunder. He’d instinctively let go of their improvised umbrella to hold her, and after a second of staring at each other in astonishment, water streaming down their faces, they’d given in to the temptation. Their lips found each other like magnets, expressing all the love they had for one another. Had it not been for the need to breathe, they could’ve stayed there for hours, hands entangled in each other’s hair. They’d rushed to take shelter under a deserted archway, laughing as they ran hand in hand. They’d kissed again before bursting into a café to order two hot chocolates to go, and again after warming up with the hot beverage and tender words of promise.

Those were the ones she could think of, off the top of her head. And there’d be many more to come. Adrienette, Ladrien, Marichat, to name a few. They just didn’t know it. 

_Yet_.


	15. Day 17 - Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ladybug gets a taste of her future. Maybe.

“Honey, I’m home!” Ladybug flung her keys on the entrance table, making them land between a pile of fashion magazines and fabric samples. 

A loud sound, like someone was drilling holes at the back of the house, greeted her, as well as the delicious smell of chocolate cake. She smiled contently; she really had the best husband.

Her eyes took in the scenery; the soft yellow of the wall that disappeared under pictures she couldn’t quite make out, although she could see herself in an elegant white dress next to a man in a tuxedo, then in what seemed to be a hospital room, holding a baby, and another in a park with children running around her. She peeked inside a room on her right, which looked a lot like her teenage room; same pink tones, but a lot more sketches lying around, and a project in progress on the mannequin that occupied the center of the room. 

Taking a couple of steps inside the apartment, she took off her coat and hung it up on the left of the door, next to what looked like the pantry. There were cooking and cleaning supplies, as well as a cage in which a hamster happily ran on a wheel. 

The drill sound coming from the back of the house stopped, and she heard the small pitter patter of childish feet running approach, then stop in their tracks as a little boy and a little girl appeared at the end of the corridor.

“You’re not Maman.” The blonde little girl said as she protectively grabbed her little brother’s hand.

There was no mistaking her bluebell eyes and his raven hair. The apple generally doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to genetics.

Ladybug frowned, looking at her hands. She understood from the red and black pattern that she’d forgotten to detransform before entering. 

Before she could reply, a familiar silhouette arrived behind them, clad in black but somehow also wearing jeans, and a t-shirt that read ‘mr. Ladybug’. He smirked as he leaned against the doorframe, resting his drill on top of his shoulder. 

“If I ever doubted that they’re my children, the fact they don’t recognise you in a mask is a clear sign they’re my litter.” He straightened up and took the couple of steps that separated him from her. “Welcome home, Bugaboo.”

Marinette jolted up in her bed, the masked green eyes that had been approaching her face as Chat Noir leaned in for a kiss still vivid in her mind.

It wasn’t the first time she’d dreamt about the future. She recognised the layout of her dream apartment, the hints of her profession, the hamster. She recognised the children; depending on the night, there were two or three of them, more or less old. It was also common for her to dream about herself as Ladybug. She assumed that in the future, Hawkmoth would be no more and that she’d be able to take advantage of her powers to avoid the busy Parisian métro at rush hour.

The one thing that wasn’t familiar, though, was the man who apparently was her husband. Whether she was Ladybug or Marinette, it had always been Adrien Agreste greeting her. 

She smiled and shook her head. So her daydreams had finally taken over her dream future. Lately, as they saved children and pets, Ladybug had started seeing Chat Noir differently. As someone who was responsible. Who’d make a great father. And perhaps a great husband. For her.

It made her heart flutter anytime she thought about it.

As they talked about their future plans, the deadlines to choose their subjects for the baccalaureate approaching, she had realised she and her partner both shared similar values, although maybe not the same objectives in life. 

Chat wanted to study physics, but not necessarily to make a career of it, just because it was interesting. He had enough money on the side to pay for his studies, and although he was open to becoming a teacher, or perhaps a researcher, he was intent on becoming a stay at home father. He hadn’t told her that it was all part of his dream of being her husband. Ideally, they’d have children (three - one daughter and two sons), but he really wasn’t picky; she was the only family he needed. He was even ready to become Mr. Ladybug, or whatever her name was, if it could help tip the balance in his favour. 

Ladybug, on the other hand, wanted a career. Her path to becoming a designer was all penned out, complete with internships and work experience. It fit well with Chat’s wishes, and with all the time they spent together, devising a plan to defeat Hawkmoth, she’d started imagining their life together. It made her blush furiously when he’d interrupt her daydreams, especially if it was to flirt. She felt as if she was caught red-handed. 

Adrien was slowly being eclipsed from her future, and it didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would. She found that Chat was actually a fairly easy replacement. His slight resemblance to the model meant her mental representation of her children could be unchanged. She’d just added an ability to pun to their profile. And since she knew what he wanted, she could imagine their home life a lot better. The only missing detail was his name. She just hoped it wasn’t too long, or her married name would become a bit of a mouthful. 

Maybe this dream was a sign she needed to talk to Chat about her feelings. 

Marinette lied back down with a smile as she grasped at the fleeting dream, hoping she’d see more of their life. If the future was even half as bright as the one she’d just woken up from, she knew she’d be happy. They’d _both_ be.

She could picture it all purr-fectly.


	16. Day 18 - Close call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug gets hit by a slowing ray, but Tikki holds down the fort. Chat makes sure they're both safe - including his partner's identity.

Ladybug often wondered how she found herself in impossible situations. Sometimes, it was because she’d somehow managed to mess up so badly her future self had come back to tell her to take care of something she thought she had time to do, or to prevent her from signing a gift.

Other times, it was because she was being carried across Paris on Chat Noir’s back, inside a Lucky Charm hessian bag.

“I didn’t know your Lucky Charms could be used in other people’s plans!” Chat laughed as he landed on a flat surface. She couldn’t tell if they were still at street level, or if he’d taken a shortcut across the roofs. 

What she knew was that she could really thank Tikki for all the hits she took when she was transformed. This was far from being a smooth ride, but the first part hadn’t been too uncomfortable, thanks to her Kwami. When her timer had ran out, though, she’d realised the costume really was a blessing. She took a look at the Kwami in her hands, whose closed eyes twitched as she stayed focused on maintaining the Lucky Charm. It was the first time they attempted this, Ladybug’s identity being at stake.

“Could you maybe run a little slower?” She replied, seeing a bead of perspiration run down her Kwami’s forehead. She wasn’t even aware Kwamis sweated. 

“Sorry, m’lady, I just want to get you to safety.”

Her heart melted a little. He’d been perfect today, sacrificing his own chance to shine in order to protect her identity. They’d been fighting the Akuma for about half an hour. She hadn’t known what to do with her Lucky Charm, a simple bag, but she trusted an opportunity to use it would arise. 

Chat Noir had established that the Akuma was inside the villain’s watch. It seemed way too big to be practical, even for a rich corporate man, not to mention the fact he used it to attack civilians around him. Its effect was to slow everybody down, which gave Paris’ heroes the weird feeling of operating in time lapse when they arrived on the scene. They had evacuated the people to allow more freedom of movement, hiding behind cars to protect themselves from the ray. Ladybug kept peeking around, anxious to find a solution to beat the villain, but it was all in vain. Nothing caught her attention the way it usually did.

Her earrings had started beeping at the worst possible moment. Chat Noir had managed to distract the man for her to explore the other end of the street in the hopes of finding inspiration. His attention on her partner, she’d come out of hiding and started running. The sound, however, had made Mr Corporate turn around; before she could dive to safety, she’d been hit by his power.

Her body might have been working in slow motion, making her feel like she was actually just frozen in the air, but her brain was still running at full speed. As seconds, then minutes, ticked by, Ladybug watched with horror as her hands started to lose the protection of her suit, unable to do anything about it. 

She couldn’t hear the villain anymore, which she took as a sign Hawkmoth was communicating with him. 

Good. It would give Chat Noir the time to sneak up on him and cataclysm the watch. They could deal with her situation later.

Her partner had other plans in mind, though. She saw a black silhouette approach and suddenly she was captured inside a red bag. 

As her detransformation ended, she suddenly regained her normal speed. She’d been surprised that she was still in the bag. Seeing Tikki so concentrated had made her understand she was holding the fort.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Marinette asked as she felt Chat Noir jump once more. She was starting to get queasy from the movement. “There are bakeries at literally every street corner around here.”

“But I’m taking you to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.” His tone told her there’d be no arguing. 

“Why?” Her heart raced in her chest. Had he somehow figured out her identity?…

“Because Tikki deserves the best macarons.” She wasn’t going to deny that. “Also I know for a fact they’re good people who will respect your privacy while you rest.” 

She heard the bakery’s familiar jingle as he pushed the door open, then a muffled conversation with her mother. Sabine seemed eager to help, and lead him to the back of the shop. The change in lighting, suddenly a lot dimmer, told her they were in the pantry. Marinette’s bag was slowly lowered to the ground before a gloved hand appeared inside it, handing her a whole box of macarons. 

“I’ll stand guard outside the pantry. Take your time.”

The bag dissolved the second he closed the door behind him, leaving Tikki breathless in her hands. Marinette reached for a raspberry macaron, which the Kwami uncharacteristically gobbled down before reaching for another. Her friend obliged, grabbing a chocolate one for herself in the process. She also isolated the passionfruit-flavoured delicacies and crawled towards the door, which she cracked open.

“Thanks, Chaton.” She held her hand out, its contents swiftly taken by Chat Noir. The way he could not resist pastries made her smile.

“Claw-se call today, huh, Bugaboo?” She heard him say as he happily munched away.

“You say that as if we’re done for the day.” She snorted. “We haven’t beaten our enemy yet.”

“Eh, something tells me it’ll be easy enough.”

Chat had a thought for the Corporate Man. Ladybug hadn’t seen it, but he’d actually knocked him out with his baton and tied him up securely to a lamppost with his tail. He’d have trouble getting himself out of the knot he’d made, if he regained consciousness before they came back.

If she asked, he’d say they wouldn’t have been able to purify the akuma without her using her Miraculous Ladybug, which would have taken ages in the state she’d been in (she’d been falling for five full minutes before he threw her in the bag, and still had been nowhere close to the ground). It wasn’t far from the truth.

Which was that, plus the fact that he’d been terrified of her identity being revealed to the whole of Paris. She would’ve insisted on giving her Miraculous up, and that was something he couldn’t allow. 

Because what would he ever do without his Lady?


	17. Day 19 - Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last fanart piece of Ladynoir July! They're having a moment in the rain.

I like to think that they'd do this kind of thing post relationship. Rain is their element, who cares about getting caught under it if you're with the one you love? (and also if you have an umbrella at hand, obviously. In that case they would try and find shelter, and _then_ proceed to be cute)


	18. Days 20&21 - Déjà vu and Reveal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug finally gives her umbrella back to its rightful owner. Everything from here onwards is a continuous fic!

The skies had been threatening all day. Ominous black clouds hung low over Paris, ready to burst at any moment, charging the air with electricity. Paris anxiously awaited the release, which would bring back the temperature to bearable levels.

Marinette was prepared for any situation. Her bright yellow summer dress allowed her to be comfortable in the heat, while the umbrella at her side guaranteed protection if she was caught in the rain. And also, she hoped, attention from a certain blond-haired boy. 

Indeed, she hadn’t picked just any umbrella as she left her place, going for the large black one that had been sitting in the holder for more than a year, instead of her small, practical one. Surely he’d notice. She wasn’t sure she was ready to give what she had come to believe was a symbol of whatever it was that united her and Adrien back to its rightful owner, but she doubted it would come to that. 

Walking home at the end of the day, she didn’t know whether to be disappointed or glad it hadn’t. In fact, the boy hadn’t even noticed her unusually large accessory. The thought that perhaps he didn’t remember their fateful conversation in the rain had crossed her mind, but she’d promptly shut it up. Even if he believed it was only the beginning of their friendship, she couldn’t bear to think it had been an inconsequential interaction.

Thus, it was with a feeling of melancholy that the young girl had made it to patrol, her umbrella safely stored inside her yoyo. Chat Noir’s punning and messing around had done little to cheer up his partner.

“You’re claw-fully quiet today, m’lady. What’s bugging you?” He nudged her as they surveilled the city from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. He kept his tone light, but was troubled by her sullenness. 

Ladybug sighed profoundly, her hands cupping her face as she leaned against the railing. “Heart troubles.” She pouted. She wished she had Chat Noir’s confidence when it came to love, and his resilience. 

“I’m sorry.” He patted her lightly on the back. 

“No you’re not.” She snorted, turning around to face him. He was glad he’d gotten at least a smile from her.

“You know me so well, it’s like we’re made for each other.” He smiled, holding himself back from stroking her pigtail. “I just can’t believe there’s someone stupid enough to pass by you, when you’re claw-ly the most amazing person out there.” Marinette came very close. But Ladybug would always be the top of the amazingness scale. _He_ wouldn’t resist her, for sure. She had her flaws, but who didn’t?

“He’s far from being stupid.” She sighed again, recalling the perfect Brevet Blanc grades she’d caught him promptly shove in his bag as Madame Bustier distributed them. “Besides, I’m not sure you’d say that if you knew me as a civilian.”

“Bugaboo, the mask is but an accessory.” He said with flourish, earning himself another smile. “Really, it doesn’t change who you are, deep inside. It might give you a boost in confidence, but that’s it. Master Fu wouldn’t have chosen you, otherwise.”

“Thanks, Chaton.” He was right. Of course he was. She knew she was great most of the time, but sometimes, doubt invaded her mind. Mostly when she was trying to start a conversation with Adrien. Why was it so hard for her to keep her cool in those cases? She inched closer to Chat and laid her head upon his shoulder instead of delving into an answer. 

She let herself close her eyes for a second. Just then, raindrops started to land on her face. Lightly, at first, almost inconspicuous, making her nose crinkle at the slight inconvenience. Then the rate picked up, and suddenly her eyes were open and she was sprinting with Chat, vaulting themselves off the Parisian monument and onto a nearby rooftop. They ran, their suits preventing them from slipping on the slick slates, and slid down under a parabola for temporary protection, laughing at the thick curtain of rain that surrounded them. It almost concealed their surroundings. A small stream gathering at their feet had them huddle closer under their makeshift shelter to stay dry.

“Want to join your friends?” Ladybug quipped, lightly nudging her partner with her elbow as she eyed the pouring rain.

“Huh?” Chat looked at her inquisitively.

“You know… It’s raining cats and dogs, you’re a cat, all that jazz…” She trailed.

Chat let out a small laugh and shook his head. He loved that Ladybug was trying to joke around more, but she still had a good way to go before reaching his level of ultimate pun king.

He was about to reply wittingly when a nearby church rang 7pm. His face paled.

“I need to get home.” He was expected at the dinner table in fifteen minutes, sharp, in perfect state. His father was gracing him with his presence, for once. 

The rain around them was relentless, the clouds somehow darker than they’d been up until then. They had ventured further from his place than usual. It seemed like everything was teaming up to prevent him from getting back on time. He flinched a little as he got ready to pounce out in the rain.

“See you later, m’lady!” He jogged out with an arm held out over his head, which did a poor job protecting his blond mane.

Ladybug watched him run, his hair almost instantly getting soaked. She thought about the contents of her bag. Well, of her yoyo.

“Chaton, wait!” She raced after him as she opened her multifunction weapon. Chat Noir turned in time to see her pull out a large umbrella. He stopped in his tracks as she approached.

“Have this, I’m in no hurry.” She panted slightly as she came to a halt near him.

“You’re a regular Mary Poppins, you know that?” 

She laughed as she opened the umbrella and handed it to him.

A flash of lightning illuminated her face as their hands touched on the handle, her mask paling in the bright light.

Chat felt an odd feeling of déjà vu as he received the accessory, although it felt like he was reliving a past scene from another perspective. Aside from the stronger rain, the way they were both standing reminded him of another umbrella handover, one he’d thought about all day. He hadn’t known how to bring it up with Marinette earlier; she probably hadn’t thought twice about what umbrella she’d picked in the morning, and if she did, he definitely didn’t want it to seem like he wanted her to give it back. He liked to think she had something of his, and secretly hoped she _did_ think about him whenever she saw or used it.

Standing like this, her arm extended towards him so as to protect him from the heavens, he felt like he was in Marinette’s shoes. Over a year ago, the situation had been reversed, the blond boy handing shelter to a girl in pigtails. The umbrella closed upon his head, and Ladybug laughed freely at the sight, just like he had when it had happened to Marinette.

He laughed along and tried to shake the feeling away, to concentrate on the matter at hand - the clock was ticking - but as he reopened the umbrella, a very familiar logo on the handle caught his eye. It was discreet enough that an untrained eye would miss it. To a common mortal, what he was holding was the most basic black piece of rain equipment one could find. Well, purr-haps not the most basic, but there wasn’t anything particularly exceptional about it. For the son of a designer, though, and more precisely, of the person who’d designed this particular accessory, there was.

Had it been any other piece of clothing from Gabriel designs, Adrien wouldn’t have questioned how Ladybug had come to own it. Although on the expensive side, it wasn’t rare for him to spot Gabriel sneakers like his own, or even jewellery. The prime example was his classmate Sabrina, who wore the same broach his father had designed for his mother.

The umbrella, though, was a different matter. They weren’t sold anywhere, his father deeming their commercialisation was not worth the manufacturing price. They kept the few prototypes at the mansion for their personal use, and if one of the rare clients his father received in person got caught in the rain on his way back. The number of people who owned one could probably be counted on the fingers of a hand.

Since Ladybug was clearly not one of his father’s clients, who were all at least in their early fifties, there were two other options: either she was one of their daughters, or…

Another flash of lightning lit her face up again, and this time it took all of his will not to drop the umbrella, as her mask almost disappeared in the light. If what he saw was real, he truly was the luckiest boy in the world.

“Bugaboo, where did you get this?” He asked slowly.

She frowned in response. “A friend gave it to me, why?” It was just a black umbrella. Apart from Adrien, Chat was the only person she felt confident lending it to. She’d want it back, though.

“Which friend?” He insisted.

“You know I can’t answer that, Chaton.” She pursed her lips. “Also, weren’t you in a hurry?” She inched closer to him to be within the protection perimeter. Her pigtails were already drenched.

He dismissed her question with a wave. “My father can wait. Can I answer how you got it for you?”

“You can try, but I doubt you’ll get the right answer.” She wondered what the big deal was, but listened expectantly. There was no way he could know.

“My guess is that you stood up for yourself and confronted Adrien Agreste on his first day of class, and this was his version of an olive branch. I didn’t peg you as someone who’d give it away to the first alley cat, though… Marinette.” He kept a straight face, but his heart was beating way faster than the healthy range in his chest. _Please Kwami, let me be right…_

“Ma- ma- Marinette? Me? No. What?” She stuttered, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson shade. “I- er, well, if you do need to know, she’s the one who gave it to me!” She added hastily.

“Are you lying?” Chat leaned towards her with a smirk, and she hated the sense of déjà vu that overcome her. What was it with blond boys questioning her lies by getting in her personal space?

“N- no?” She slapped herself internally for her answer coming out as a question. She usually was more confident than this. She was Marinette, for Kwami’s sake. The chosen Ladybug. The only person she got nervous around was Adrien Agreste. Who, she noted, sometimes acted exactly like her partner was acting right now.

Chat Noir took a step back, his smirk still plastered on his face. “You know, I would believe you, if it weren’t for the fact Marinette was carrying this particular umbrella all day, and then went home to work on our History essay that’s due tomorrow. Not sure there would have been any time for you to swing by.”

Ladybug gaped. “How… You can’t…” 

His smiled widely seeing she’d given up on denying her identity. “Possibly know that? Think again, m’lady.” He winked and strolled towards the edge of the building. “Thanks for giving this back to me, I purr-omise I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”

“Adrien?” Her eyes went wide as she realised the implications of his words.

He gave her a salute as he jumped off, his heart still singing at the reveal.

“Wait!” Ladybug yelled out in the night. “You can’t just drop a bomb like this and just leave!”

Her partner had already disappeared behind a building, though. 

Ladybug stood helplessly under the rain, thoughts racing through her head. _Blasted cat, what am I supposed to do now?_


	19. Day 22 - Realisation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get inside Ladybug and Chat Noir's heads after the previous chapter's reveal!

Ladybug walked slowly towards her Home via the rooftops, hands tucked behind her back. The rain was still pouring around her, drops trickling down on her face from her bangs, but she was too deep in thought to pay it any heed. Who cared about potentially catching a cold when you’d just been hit with such crucial information?

She blamed her obliviousness on Chat’s hair. Of course she knew how much a haircut could change someone’s face, the hair length somehow emphasising or toning down one’s facial features, but this was such a _wild_ change. If she ever had an essay to write on the topic (you never knew), Chat would definitely be her exhibit A: heads, Adrien Agreste, model extraordinaire, a teenage heartthrob down to his boy band side part; tails, Chat Noir, Paris’ superhero, his blond mane as unkempt as his manners. Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir. Two sides of the same coin. 

It seemed so stupid that she’d never noticed, when there’d been many signs pointing to that conclusion. How Adrien would always disappear during Akuma attacks. She’d always assumed he was just very good at finding hiding places, but thinking back, his excuses often seemed as questionable as her own. How Chat seemed to know the name of her classmates when they were akumatized, although he claimed not to know the Collège Françoise Dupond. How he was very quick to arrive there when it was the scene of an akumatisation. How, everytime she saved Adrien, Chat somehow failed to show up, or did so after she’d made sure the model was well protected. How, thinking about it, she’d never _actually_ seen both Chat Noir and Adrien together in the same place. She’d seen someone wearing an opaque helmet and dressed like Adrien standing behind Chat Noir, but it really could have been any boy their age.

So Chat Noir was Adrien. And Adrien was Chat Noir. Which meant… 

_Oh for Kwami’s sake_. She stopped in her tracks and brought her hands to her face, trying very hard to control her breathing. She was tempted to detransform, so she could talk to Tikki instead of just monologue internally, but she also didn’t feel like walking home in her sundress under the rain. Her costume had the significant asset of being waterproof.

All the time she’d pursued the so-called love of her life by day, she’d been rejecting him by night. She screamed in frustration in her hands. How could she claim to know Adrien, when she hadn’t been able to recognise him when he’d been right by her side all along?

She’d have to step it up if she wanted the feeling of not deserving him that was emerging in her chest to fly away. She knew Chat Noir enough to know he wasn’t kidding around when he said the mask didn’t matter, that he loved her with or without it. Her heart fluttered at the thought that that had been _Adrien_ speaking. He loved her. 

She smiled as she wrung the water out of her pigtails on her balcony. She still had a lot of things she’d have to figure out, like how she’d explain how drenched she was to her parents, and how on Earth she was going to face her partner tomorrow because… Well, surprise, surprise, if Chat Noir was Adrien, it meant she would be seeing him a lot sooner than she felt was enough to prepare their next encounter. 

Because although there was a chance that the fact Adrien was Chat Noir meant that she might be able to hold a normal conversation with him from now on, she didn’t completely trust herself to make the difference. Worse; there was a chance she’d start stammering every time she hung out with him, even as Chat Noir. Would she even be able to protect Paris in her love struck state? 

_Boy did she have a long night of overthinking ahead of her_.

—

A couple of blocks away from her inner turmoil, Adrien was having the best dinner of his life. For once, he was perfectly content sitting in silence across from his father, eating food that was way too fancy and in portions too small to feed a growing boy. Where he normally would have tried to engage in small talk in yet another attempt to connect with the stern figure who sat on the other side of the long dining table, tonight his thoughts were elsewhere. He’d even managed to ignore his father’s jab at his lack of punctuality, when he usually would have taken it personally.

He’d figured it out. On his own, without cheating. And it seemed like the best piece of news he’d received since… He tried to remember something that had made him feel this happy, internally jumping up and down, for want of physically doing so. He could think of two: his father letting him go to public school, and knowing he’d righted things with Marinette, that they would be friends. 

Marinette… His smile grew larger as he thought about his pigtailed friend. Lovely, kind, amazing Marinette. Thinking about it, it made so much sense that she was Ladybug. The only times his partner had failed to show up in a year had been when he’d helped Marinette with Evillustator, and when she’d been trapped by Weredad. No wonder Marinette was always hanging around close to where they had fought. And hadn’t he once called her their everyday Ladybug? He refrained from laughing at the irony, as his father was already giving him odd looks. He should have thought twice about his choice of words then; he’d really been onto something. Just like Clara Nightingale had been. He couldn’t believe how on point the singer had been. No wonder Marinette had been reticent to take the role, and had ended up finding a solution to avoid appearing in the video as Ladybug.

And if Marinette was Ladybug, no wonder he’d been so lucky at school; he’d had a living and breathing Lucky Charm sitting behind him all along! Not to mention the actual one he carried everywhere, which turned out to have been blessed by his Lady Luck herself.

But if Ladybug was Marinette, then it meant he’d been friendzoning her ever since their first real conversation. It was a word Nino used a lot, and Adrien had only recently discovered what it actually meant. He’d always felt quite curious about Marinette, who could go from a cute shy state to passionately and eloquently standing up for herself or her friends in a matter of seconds. Truth be told, he’d always admired her, and felt something indescifrable when it came to her. He’d been so convinced about his feelings for Ladybug -which still stood- that he’d never bothered untangling his relationship with the other bluenette in his life. 

She held a special place in his heart. If he compared her to his closest girl friends, he considered her to be closer than Alya, with whom he spent as much time, if he didn’t count their escapades as Ladybug and Chat Noir. There was something more, a sort of spark, which he guessed he’d sort of felt with Kagami when they’d first met. That had turned out to be a connection due to their similar lifestyles. His link with Marinette felt a lot deeper. Like the one he had with Chloé, despite having interacted a lot less with her and only having known her for a year.

Then again, she was Ladybug; they actually knew each other a lot better than they could have thought, both in and out of costume.

One thing he _didn’t_ know about her, though, was who she liked. He raked his mind for any conversation with anyone that could give him the missing piece of information, but nothing particularly came to mind aside from the fact she liked a boy. It gave him a chance. He’d have to investigate the matter further to measure up the opposition. 

For now, though, he thought as he climbed the stairs to his room, he’d just enjoy knowing he’d spend a lot more time with her.

_Boy, morning wouldn’t come soon enough._


	20. Days 23&24 - Chin scratches and post-reveal, pre-relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir tries to pry out who Ladybug likes from her. Ladybug receives some disturbing news. (continuation from the previous two chapters)

Sometimes, Hawkmoth seemed to need a little time to plan his next move. It should have given Ladybug and Chat Noir a moment of respite, an opportunity to chill out on the rooftops, making the most of a sunny day. 

Paris being a busy city, though, the two heroes had barely sat down when their help had been requested to find a missing cat. A little running around later, and both of them were on their way to the owner’s house, having accomplished their mission.

“Aw, isn’t it the cutest?” Ladybug cooed as she scratched the cat’s chin, continuing to walk down the empty street.

It was a dignified white cat, which reminded her of Duchess in the Aristocats. Pretty much the opposite of the jealous cat that walked next to her, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I don’t see why she gets chin scratches for being lost, you shouldn’t be encouraging it! I never get any, even when I’m on my best behaviour.” He pouted. “It’s because I’m a black cat, isn’t it?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and smiled affectionately at her partner. “You know damn well that I’d never change anything about you, Chaton.” 

Chat’s pout spread into a wide smile, which made her realise what she’d just said. She blushed and bowed her head, picking up her pace to conceal her pinking cheeks.

It was tricky navigating their new relationship. She wasn’t entirely sure Chat Noir knew how she felt about Adrien, about _him_. He’d probed her a lot during the past week. At first she thought he was trying to pry out an official confession from her, since she’d never managed to do it, but she’d soon figured out he was really clueless when it came to her feelings. 

To her surprise, she’d managed the post reveal situation fairly well. There was no real weirdness between Adrien and her; their conversations were a lot smoother now that she knew he was Chat Noir. They’d even shared nice bantering moments which had taken Alya aback. Marinette was fairly sure her best friend thought she’d used some kind of voodoo spell overnight for such a rapid change to occur.

The one thing she still had to come to terms with was the fact any time she flirted with Chat, she flirted with Adrien. She’d already admitted to herself that any time she’d done it in the past, she’d meant it to at least 50%, which was a big step. Part of her did want to give their relationship a try, _finally_ , after a year of running around in circles chasing what had happened to be their tails. The other part didn’t know how good an idea it would be, given what she’d seen when she’d been propelled into Chat Blanc’s universe.

Oh well. She would see how things went. It wasn’t like Adrien was close to discovering who she liked, anyway.

“You know, when you say things like that, it makes me think that you might like _me_.” He smirked teasingly, catching up with her in a couple of strides.

 _Crap_. She should’ve known not to underestimate her partner.

“Well why don’t you use it as your choice of the day?” She replied as breezily as she could.

“Nah, I’m kidding. I think I would’ve noticed it if you did like me.” He nudged her with his shoulder.

Ladybug refrained from laughing out loud. 

With Adrien prying to know who she liked, she’d decided to stretch his ignorance for as long as possible by establishing a Rumplestiltskin rule. He was only allowed one guess a day, which frustrated Alya to no end.

“You can see how desperate he is to know, you know he told Nino he loves you, right? Why are you extending his misery? And yours?” The aspiring reporter had asked her when they’d been alone after a week of playing.

“It’s complicated.” Marinette had winced at the pathetic excuse. “Anyway, it’s a game between Adrien and I. You don’t _have_ to watch.”

“But I do! I want to be there when my ship finally sails.” Alya whined as Marinette rolled her eyes.

Marinette had to slap her hand on her friend’s mouth more than a couple of times to prevent her from commenting on Adrien’s choices. She could always tell she was about to speak when a sly grin spread across her lips.

“Since it’s only the two of us today, I can finally ask one that’s been on my mind for a while.” Chat interrupted her thoughts.

“Hmm?” She looked at him in confusion. Which guess would possibly have to be asked without their friends around?

“Is it Nino?” He asked, and he misinterpreted her widened eyes. “I purr-omise I won’t tell Alya if it is! But I figured, you did sort of go on a date with him that one time, he liked you…”

“I forgot about that.” She replied thoughtfully. Nino had actually told Alya about his feelings for Marinette, and they now joked about it. “But it’s not Nino.”

“Am I getting warmer though?”

“Well…” Technically, Nino was warmer than Kim, the previous day’s guess. But it was colder than himself, even if he hadn’t been serious about it. “Cheer up, Chaton.” She smiled and gave him a little skin scratch to compensate for her vague response, eliciting a purr. She wondered what that would feel like if she was in his arms. “You’ll find out eventually.”

Before he could reply, she rang the doorbell of the house that stood in front of them. An old lady opened the door cautiously, and upon recognising her pet thanked them profusely, even inviting them in for tea. Chat seemed ready to go in, but Marinette’s phone rang before they could reply anything. She excused herself and fished it out of her yoyo. 

Max’s face appeared on her screen. She frowned. It wasn’t like him to call her. Not when there wasn’t a gaming tournament planned in the near future.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Marinette?” He sounded shaken.

“Yes Max, is everything okay?” She asked worriedly.

“I’m not too sure.” There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.

“How can I help?” She forced herself to smile, although she had a bad feeling about what was to follow.

“Markov and I were going through his software to do a routine backup and… Well, you know Ladybug, right?” He asked.

“Yes?”

“Do you think you could contact her, and tell her to come meet us at the Collège as soon as she can? And tell her Chat Noir should come too, I’ve tried to get a hold of Adrien to contact him but his phone goes straight to voicemail.”

“I’ll see what I can do. What’s going on?”

Another pause. “You have to swear not to say anything.”

“Okay?” 

“We think we discovered who Hawkmoth is.” 

Ladybug’s face drained of all colours and her heart rate picked up as Max exposed his findings. She looked over to her partner, who was still happily conversing with the old lady and her cat. What had he done to deserve this?

She wasn’t even sure her confession would help swallow this bitter pill. She wished she could prolong his ignorance a little longer, enough for them to enjoy tea, but the urgency of Max’s voice brought her back to reality. They needed to act fast. 

She sighed quietly as she hung up and walked to her partner with a heavy heart.

“Chaton?” He turned towards her, and the way his smile faded as he saw her expression broke her heart, but they needed to do this. “We need to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, the next chapter is going to be very angsty 😉 (they'll have a happy ending though, I promise!)


	21. Day 26 - Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PEAK ANGST- Major character injury. Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat Hawkmoth; Chat Noir has a difficult choice to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's normal that it goes straight from day 24 to day 26, day 25 was pining which didn't really fit the storyline (and also it would seem that I cannot write it on command) 😬

They’d officially done it. 

Hawkmoth lay at Chat Noir’s feet, pegged under a pile of rubble that restrained his mouvements. It was only a matter of time before the boy walked over to him and took his Miraculous away for good, just like Ladybug had taken Mayura’s when she’d tried to prevent them from accessing the secret lair.

Chat Noir crouched, taking his Lady’s hand in his. Ladybug lied on her side, too feeble to even sit. She smiled weakly at him, her breathing rendered difficult by all the hits she’d taken from Hawkmoth before Chat had been able to put an end to it with a Cataclysm. 

He looked around him, barely registering the extent of the damage around them.

He should have been happy. Paris would soon be free of its two most wanted criminals. There would be no more fear of being Akumatised. He and Ladybug would be hailed as heroes. They would be free to live without the pressure of saving the city every day.

He couldn’t believe that it had all happened right under his nose, though. Well, under his feet. Or above his head. Hawkmoth’s - _his father’s_ \- hiding place was so big it was a wonder he’d never noticed anything. Chat Noir also couldn’t help but be impressed at how spectacular the room he was standing in was. He wondered if it had always been this way, with its narrow alleyway across waters he could not identify, leading to the grand butterfly window, or if the architecture had been orchestrated by his father. How premeditated his father’s actions had been. 

His eyes lingered on the focal point of the room. Exposed like a princess in her coffin, in the center, lay his mother. No wonder she’d never answered any of his letters. She’d never left. And she wasn’t in a position to _do_ anything.

Chat’s eyes teared up as he recalled his mother’s warm green gaze. How she’d sometimes whisk him away to the countryside, and they’d run around in fields of green, singing and laughing in the sunshine. She’d always loved the Sound of Music. How she shared her passion for music with him, bursting into song randomly. How she sang him to sleep as he listened to her angelic voice. 

He remembered her vibrant personality. She would hug him out of the blue as he was playing in his room, or doing homework in the dining room. She made everything feel like an adventure, one he felt included in. The house had always seemed more colourful when she had been around, despite the interior decoration having remained the same ever since she’d left. Her radiance warmed anywhere she walked, seemingly making flowers bloom around her sometimes. In fact, she always smelled like Spring. He’d never found her perfume anywhere.

He was interrupted in his reminiscence by his father, who despite his immobilisation, was far from being muted.

“You have to understand, I did it all for her! Please let me bring her back, I miss her so much!” His voice sounded helpless, his tears were almost convincing. “Help me give my son a family again.” His voice broke, and Chat Noir tensed.

“Chaton… you know… the price.” Ladybug’s voice emerged weakly from his lap. Her bluebell eyes struggled to stay open. 

He stroked her cheek gently. 

His heart ached as he made his decision. Given Ladybug’s state, he knew deep down that he needed to choose between her and his mother. Between green and blue. Life was full of sacrifices.

A tear rolled down his cheek. He hadn’t thought it possible to live in a world without Emilie Agreste, yet he’d been proven wrong. It hurt every day, every hour, every minute, but he marched on bravely, treasuring her memory. Something told him it would be the same with Marinette. Ladybug. His partner. His best friend. 

He wasn’t ready to mourn her just yet, though.

The future would be blue, he knew. It would be saying goodbye to his mother, for good, this time. It would be coming to terms with his father’s criminality. And Nathalie’s. It would be practically becoming an orphan, alone in the big mansion but for the Gorilla.

But he also knew _she_ ’d be there by his side, whatever happened. That if he ever stumbled, she’d swoop in before he fell too deep. Her eyes would be the only sea he’d drown in. They would be his lifeline, always there if he looked for them in a crowd. Bluebell blue was the colour he’d never tire of looking at.

There’d be laughter. There’d be dates, he promised himself. There’d be running across Paris rooftops, just because they could. There’d be watching the sunset from the Eiffel Tower. And maybe the sunrise, too. The future may be blue, but it would also be bright.

He took a deep breath and dialled the 17 on his Cat phone.

“ _Allô la police_?” He asked. “Chat Noir speaking. I’m currently in the basement of 1, place du Châtelet, in the first arrondissement of Paris. Please send a team over to arrest Gabriel Agreste, whom I can confirm is Hawkmoth.” He gulped and looked down to Ladybug, whose breath was shaky in his arms.

“Can I trust you to call for medical help as well? It’s for Ladybug.”

His interlocutor confirmed they would be there as soon as possible, which was supported by the shouts he heard in the background as the force readied itself. 

Chat hung up, and took Ladybug’s hand back in his. He felt a slight pressure as she squeezed it faintly.

“Hang in there, Bugaboo.” He whispered as he pushed her hair away from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

She lifted her arm, wincing at the effort, and cupped his face. He kissed the palm of her hand tenderly, stroking her hair.

“We did it, Chaton.” She croaked, a smile forming on her lips as her eyes closed once more. 

He felt her pulse weaken and prayed for help to arrive faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Mwahahahaha
> 
> (jk, if it makes you feel better, there are still 5 prompts left, so I'll let you guess how it ends 😉)


	22. Days 27&28 - Embrace and Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hawkmoth has officially been defeated, and Ladybug and Chat Noir are left with the press.

Flashing lights faded around the corner as Hawkmoth and Mayura were driven away from the Agreste mansion. Ladybug and Chat Noir remained side by side on the doorstep, silently watching them go. 

The emergency services had arrived promptly at the crime scene after Chat’s call, and had done a good job at making sure Gabriel Agreste was securely tied up before Ladybug could use her Miraculous Ladybug powers. The cataclysmed rock that had pinned him down had returned to the basement’s roof with a puff of dust and rubble, which could have provided the villain with the perfect distraction to escape.

The magical ladybirds had also restored Ladybug’s health, although she’d felt dizzy as she stood up. After checking thoroughly with the medical team that she was, indeed, better, Chat had engulfed her into a tight embrace, knocking the air out of her lungs. She’d pulled him in just as tight as she felt his tears drop one by one on her shoulder.

She still couldn’t believe it was over. And they were safe. Both of them. She still had trouble realising the man they had been fighting all along was her greatest idol. 

And Adrien’s father.

She stole a look at Chat Noir, whose gaze was lost in the distance.

A crowd of journalists gathered around them, hollering questions in the hopes of securing exclusive information for their channels. Chat flinched every time someone mentioned the name Gabriel Agreste, although it was so imperceptible only Ladybug noticed.

Her hand brushed tentatively against his, and, seeing no resistance, she took it and squeezed it tightly in a silent promise; _it’s going to be alright_. 

She let go of his hand reluctantly as the queries kept pouring and took on the mediatic spotlight by stepping in front of her partner, a barrage between him and the press. 

“Thank you all for your support!” She called out, the crowd hushing at the sound of her voice. “I’m sure you’ll understand this was a very emotional day for all of us. We’re still processing today’s events, so we won’t be taking any questions right now. Just know that you can sleep tight tonight, as Hawkmoth and Mayura are no longer threats.” She gave her best brave smile, although her thoughts were elsewhere. She had to get Chat Noir out of there.

The disappointed journalists ignored her comment, avid for a scoop. 

“Are you two going to reveal your identities to the public now that Hawkmoth has been defeated?”

“Ladybug, is it true you almost died fighting today?”

“There hasn’t been any news of Adrien Agreste since his father’s arrest, is it possible that he was working with him and is now on the run?”

The last question made Chat Noir tense up, but Ladybug reacted before he could.

“That’s enough!” She snarled at the reporters, making them back away. A camera flashed, immortalising her anger. She snapped towards the photographer, who immediately deleted the picture, cowering under her thunderous stare. “I _said_ we were not going to answer any questions tonight!”

“Please excuse us now, Adrien is safe, and we need to talk to him.” Chat stepped forward, taking her hand. He’d never seen her so angry before. He nodded sternly at the crowd before leading Ladybug back into the Mansion. 

She was still trembling with rage when he closed the imposing door behind them. 

“M’lady.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Please calm down.”

“I _can’t_.” She clenched her fists, avoiding his eyes. “You heard them. How can they even _say_ something like that?”

“They don’t know it’s me.”

“But you’ve been on billboards for ages, it’s like your'e the only model in this ungrateful city. You can’t get out without being mobbed by fans. And now they’re spreading rumours about how you’re conspiring with Hawkmoth?” She shook her head in defeat and looked up. Her bluebell eyes were piercing in contrast with her mask. “Why can’t they love you, like I do?” 

Chat felt like he’d just been punched in the lungs, in a good, nay, _excellent_ way, as he reciprocated her gaze. Her honest stare told him she meant what she’d just said. It wasn’t a figure of speech. It didn’t feel like a platonic declaration. 

Coming from her, right there and then, he knew it was a full blown confession.

He knew he should be focusing on everything else, getting out in the open as Adrien to silence the rumours, dealing with the pain that accompanied his father’s and Nathalie’s arrests, his mother’s death, addressing the stress and trauma from the fight, but he clang on to her words like a lifeline.

Ladybug misunderstood his silence. She’d really chosen the worst moment to confess, hadn’t she? Her eyes widened suddenly and she hid her face in her hands. 

“I’m sorry.” She said in a muffled voice. 

“What for?” Chat was genuinely confused by her change in attitude. Gently pulling her closer, he took her in his arms.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.” She mumbled against his chest.

“That’s not a very nice thing to say about me.” He chuckled.

“Not everything is about you, you silly cat.” She huffed as she lifted her head, shooting him a disapproving glance. 

She very reluctantly pushed him away and paced the paved entrance floor, shaking her head. “I didn’t want to tell you like this.” 

“What?” He grinned.

“Oh don’t pretend you don’t know!”

“You mean, tell me that you love me?” His eyes glinted mischievously as he leaned towards her. His heart was roaring in his ears. “Technically you didn’t say it.”

She rolled her eyes, but was glad to see he was smiling. If the prospect of her saying the three little words she’d had so much trouble articulating made him so happy, then maybe she should just take the leap. Even if she would’ve much preferred it to be more romantic. Somewhere other than Hawkmoth’s house, for one. And perhaps not almost immediately after they’d discovered he was her beloved’s father. She guessed she’d just have to make it up to him later.

“Well, I do. Love you.” She gave him a small smile. “And, to be honest, I have for a while.”

“I told you you’d fall for me.” Chat said softly as he closed the distance between them in a smooth step. He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips, his green eyes never leaving hers. “I love you too, ma Buguinette.”

Ladybug blushed and buried herself in his arms once more. 

Chat kissed the top of her head fondly, his heart soaring, singing, and doing every cliché thing a heart does when two lovers just confessed their love for one another. Holding her close took his mind off everything else, even if for a little while.

They were going to be alright. 

_Together_.


	23. Days 29&30 - Rooftop dates and 'you and me against the world'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a struggle to find date ideas, but Ladynoir make do just fine.

What struck Ladybug and Chat Noir most as they moved from a supposedly one-sided crush to an actual two-way romantic relationship was how hard it was to find date ideas. As much as they fished for inspiration on Google, it seemed like most things people did as a couple, they’d already done “platonically” (staring at their individual screens as they browsed, each of them was starting to question whether that was actually the right word to use given the whole double identity business). 

Movie date? It had been cut short by Adrien’s fans and the Gorilla’s akumatisation, but they’d done it.

Ice cream date? Check, both as civilians and superheroes.

Rooftop dinner? Chat had already organised that, and the memory of her rejecting him had both of them fear it could jinx their blooming relationship.

Stargazing? They did that pretty much every time the night sky was clear.

Of course, the “date” label could change the stakes, but both heroes felt like repeating something just because people thought it was a good idea sort of took the romantic aspect out of it. They had therefore agreed not to actively organise activities, but rather to go with the flow.

Today, the flow had led them to lie on their stomachs on a rooftop, shoulders brushing as they hovered over a page of crosswords.

Ladybug hummed silently. Chat loved seeing her cute nose crinkle and would have been tempted to kiss it if he hadn’t known how intent she was on finishing the exercise. She held the hope that one day, she’d solve the grid, form the right word with the numbered letters, and win the weekly money prize. Not that she needed it, but just for the pride.

He reluctantly diverted his gaze from her face to look at the clues.

“Thirteen down: clown.” He indicated. Ladybug wrote it down after double-checking it fit in the boxes. As if he didn’t know how to count. He shook his head, amused by her distrust. “I can’t believe you would seriously doubt that ‘funny man’ in five letters is clown.”

“What can I say, it must take one to know one.” She smirked, bopping her shoulder against his.

Chat Noir stuck out his tongue at her, but she was already busy writing down another answer. He redirected his attention to the grid.

“Four across is… will you look at that, ‘miraculous’!” He chuckled, drawing her attention to the prompt.

“Which means two down must be… riddle!” Ladybug smiled with glee. “We really _do_ make a good team, don’t we?”

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; it’s you and me against the world, Bugaboo.” He nudged her playfully with his shoulder and looked back down at the page. “And that includes uncooperative crosswords.”

Ladybug shifted, and the soft tickle of her pigtail on his cheek made Chat look back up. Their faces were close. So, so close. 

As if sensing his burning gaze, Ladybug’s eyes met his before fluttering down to his lips.

Her head had a mind of its own as it moved closer to her boyfriend’s, pausing mere millimetres away from his taunting lips. Chat decided to take the leap and close the gap between them in a tentative kiss. 

Her reply was full of intent. 

—

“You know, I think I’ll have to write to the ‘Best date ideas in Paris’ blog and tell them to add a new entry.” Chat propped his head on his hand and smiled affectionately at Ladybug, now lying on her back as she looked at him. Her pigtails were dishevelled from their impromptu make out session.

He couldn’t resist kissing her nose this time.

“Oh yeah?” She answered as breezily as she could, although she knew the effect was ruined by her panting breath and the heat she could feel on her cheeks. 

“Who needs fancy restaurants when all you need is a crossword puzzle and a rooftop?” He looked over at the abandoned magazine, thinking the location itself was actually probably more than enough.

“You know, Kitty, I’d agree with you but I’m not sure how mayor Bourgeois would react if he saw all these people climbing up to hang out on the roofs.” She flicked his bell, which released a crystalline sound. “Besides,” she whispered, making him lean closer to hear her, “I like knowing that this is our territory.”

“You really do think of everything, my love.” He fondly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

A sudden gust of wind flicked the pages of the magazine, drawing Ladybug’s attention away from Chat’s deep green eyes.

“Right, back to serious business.” She pushed herself up, landing a quick peck on Chat’s pouting lips. “Cheer up, Chaton, you’ll be getting something out of it if I do win.”

“You’ll get me a present?” He smiled excitedly. 

“I might have something in mind for you, yes.” She ruffled his hair and walked over to the puzzle. “I will need my favourite partner to have a chance, though. We only have…” She glanced at her miracuphone. “Two hours left until the ballot closes.”

“Better get cracking, then!” He plumped down next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Ladybug comfortably rested her head on his shoulder.

If someone from Best date ideas in Paris had walked by at that moment, and seen them working with the sun setting in front of them and the Champs de Mars at their feet, no doubt they would have closed their website.

For nothing could have topped their crossword puzzle rooftop date.


	24. Day 31 - Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug gets Chat Noir his purr-omised surprise.

Ladybug smiled widely as she opened the envelope on her desk. She’d spotted it as soon as she’d slid down her mezzanine railing, and had decided to skip her detransformation upon seeing it. It wasn’t everyday Marinette received mail. Especially envelopes with a familiar magazine logo on them.

She squealed excitedly as she pulled out the cheque, her name neatly written on the recipient line. She was finally going to be able to carry out her plan.

She was about to open a new tab on her computer when her mother’s voice sounded from downstairs. “Marinette? Are you home?” It approached as Sabine climbed the stairs. “Someone’s here to see you!”

“Don’t worry Mrs Dupain Cheng, I’ll just wait in the living room.” Ladybug recognised Adrien’s voice and rolled her eyes. 

They’d only just left each other after patrol, what was he doing here? She shook her head and detransformed, stashing the letter away before she opened her bedroom’s trap door to tell him to come up. 

Her surprise would have to wait.

—

“I’m here!” Chat Noir landed loudly on the rooftop, doubling over to catch his breath. “We literally just saw each other at school, what was so important that you waited until I got back to Nino’s to call me?” He panted.

Ever since Hawkmoth’s arrest, Adrien had been staying at Nino’s, his parents taking him in with open arms. Between them and the constant dinner invitations from the Miracuclass, all coordinated by the brilliant Marinette, Adrien had never been better fed or supported. It made him feel emotional if he thought about it too hard.

“Well see, I saw _Adrien_ at school, but I need _Chat Noir_ right now.” Ladybug twirled a strand of her hair on her finger as she walked towards him, before standing on her tiptoes to kiss her boyfriend’s cheek.

“Oh?” Chat’s eyebrows shot up, his interest piqued by Ladybug’s mischievous smile.

“Wasn’t it you who helped me finish my crosswords puzzle?”

“You won?” He gasped.

She grinned and nodded slowly. 

“That’s amazing Bugaboo!” Chat picked her up and spun her around, kissing her forehead. He frowned slightly as he put her down. “You know you could have just told me over text, right?”

“But that would have ruined the surprise.” Ladybug winked, whipping out a scarf from her yoyo. “Speaking of which, we still have a little travelling to do, so better get cracking!”

“I’m not sure I like where this is going.” Chat Noir replied as she approached him.

With a laugh, Ladybug blindfolded him and took his hand, leading him towards the edge of the building. He followed diligently, entwining his fingers between hers.

“I’m not sure I completely thought this through.” She mumbled as she looked down. It was a long drop, although she’d never let him fall.

“You know I trust you with my life, Bugaboo.” Chat smiled and brought her hand to his lips. He would have tried to actually kiss her had it not been for the blindfold.

“Alright, here we go, then.” She took a deep breath and slid a hand around his waist to bring him closer. She was grateful to feel his strong arms around her, consolidating their link. She knew she could take both of their weight, having done it at least half a dozen times before, but with Chat blindfolded, she was missing the last resort solution of his baton.

She yoyoed smoothly across the gap, and let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. 

“ _We’re alive_!” Chat joked, feeling her relax.

“Don’t say that too quickly, that wasn’t the only street we need to cross.” 

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just meet claw-ser to wherever we’re headed?”

“You’ll understand why when we get there.” Taking his hand in hers again, she carefully led him across the rooftops. Chat Noir tried visualising where they were by tracking their turns and crossings, but quickly gave up after yet another leap, made wobbly by Ladybug’s slight fatigue. 

Finally, she let go of his hand and he heard her open what sounded like a trapdoor. She carefully guided him down a ladder, into a darker space. They walked along a corridor, he supposed from the alignment of doors he felt as he scraped his hands across the walls. Probably an apartment building. 

She stopped before they reached the end of it, and he heard the jiggle of keys and the little rattle of a lock being opened. Light dappled his blindfolded vision as the door swung open.

“Okay, don’t get your hopes up too high because it’s really not that great compared to your place, but I know that as much as you like being surrounded by people, you also really like your privacy and I thought this would be a nice place and…” Ladybug rambled, playing with the keys in her hands, he could tell from the sound.

He reached out blindly and took them in his. “My Lady? Breathe.” He could perfectly picture how she’d stop talking and look up at him, a little startled. “And maybe let me see before you start overthinking everything?”

“Oh, right, of course!” 

He felt her hands gently go through his hair as she untied the blindfold for him. 

It fell to reveal a small, but cosy room. A bed, which looked a lot like _his_ bed, occupied most of the space on the right. He could definitely recognise some of his posters and pictures hanging above it, with a bunch of shots of him and his friends he’d never seen but had apparently been taken over the previous weeks. 

The left side of the room had been organised as a living space, with a kitchenette in a corner and a sofa in the other, next to which stood a pile of cushions to provide extra sitting options. Chat had a half a mind to go and sprawl himself on them. The other half could already picture all the nights he’d be able to spend around the coffee table with his friends.

Straight across from the door was a big window which caught his attention by the amount of light it let through. He squinted as he strode towards it, and, recognising the view, gasped and opened it wide. As he leaned across the small balcony, Ladybug instinctively grabbed his tail before he could fall down from jumping in excitement. 

Chat turned around with the biggest smile she’d ever seen him sport. “We’re next door neighbours!!” 

He pointed to the right, where the Seine was visible, as well as a part of Marinette’s balcony.

“I thought you’d like the prospect of being able to communicate through the wall.” She smiled. She’d been extremely lucky to spot the renting announcement. Then again, she was Ladybug. Didn’t luck come with the costume?

Chat Noir looked out the window again, then came back inside and picked Ladybug up, twirling her in his arms as he kissed her passionately. Her arms flew around his neck. She could feel him smiling against her lips, which made her feel giddy.

“It’s perfect, thank you.” He said in a pant, after they broke off, staring into her eyes as his forehead leaned against hers.

“I wanted you to finally have a Home, Chaton.” Her cheeks were flushed, bringing out her bluebell eyes in the prettiest of ways. 

He smiled fondly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Bugaboo, never doubt that I have a Home when I’m with you.” He looked around them, still in awe of the space. “But I agree that this will do nicely as a second one.”

“Cool.” She said lamely, unable to formulate a coherent response to his declaration.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...And they lived happily ever after, the end :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this, don't hesitate to leave feedback :)
> 
> Find me on tumblr [@2manyfandoms2count](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/2manyfandoms2count) !


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